


Ali's Guide to the Art of Love

by WhiteTigresss



Category: Pretty Little Liars
Genre: CEO! Alison DiLaurentis, F/F, Secret Agent! Alison DiLaurentis, Swimmer! Emily Fields
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2018-10-12 19:03:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10497546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteTigresss/pseuds/WhiteTigresss
Summary: Olympic swimmer Emily Fields is having a rough time on her marriage. That's why she convinces Alison DiLaurentis, CEO and sexiest woman in America, to teach her a few love lessons. But what happens when Ali is not what she looks like?





	1. Rule #1

_**RULE #1: DO NOT MAKE STRANGE PROPOSITIONS** _

“He’s running away!”  A woman screams as she and her partner chase down a man through the dark alleyways of London. She’s not entirely a rookie to this city, but she’s fairly sure he knew London better than they did, considering that her partner had never been to this part of town before.

  
“We’ve got this, Mary,” Her partner spoke with her usual French accent and pulled out her gun and continued to chase the man in what felt like a labyrinth to them. Her “artistic” name was so natural to her partner that she could mention it even when her mind was focused on capturing another criminal.

  
“Vivian, are you crazy?!”  “Mary” rolled her eyes and ran after “Vivian” and the criminal. The other woman drove her crazy sometimes. She doesn’t even know how they’ve managed to work together for so long. “Vivian” was the best spy she knew, but she also acted without a second thought from time to time. On the good side, “Vivian” knew how to improvise, so that’s probably why “Mary” hadn’t needed to save her ass many times. Or maybe “Vivian” is just lucky (“Mary” would rather believe that).

  
“Hands up, Cyrus!” “Vivian” yelled, probably calling unwanted attention to them. Before “Mary” could react, “Vivian” shot Cyrus on the thigh. Cyrus – a British man with blonde hair, blue eyes and a beard – crumbled to the ground, allowing the two women to catch up with him.

  
“You’re under arrest for prostitution and human traffic,” “Vivian” placed the cuffs around his wrists and announced, “Come on up!” She urged the man back onto his feet.

  
“Vivian, are you insane?!” “Mary” was quite relieved that they had caught the criminal. But “Vivian’s” methods broke at least a hundred security protocols, “You could’ve shot an innocent person!”

  
“There was only him in the alley, Mary,” “Vivian” argued, “Besides, I aimed for his leg. It was a non-fatal shot.”

  
“Painful nonetheless.”

  
“Just shut up and receive all the glory.”

  
When they walked out of the alleyway there was a CIA team and a London Police Department one as well waiting for them. “Vivian” handed Cyrus to a few CIA officers and then they walked to a black man wearing a fine suit and sunglasses (in spite of the rain).

  
“Congratulation, girls,” Their boss, Lorenzo, said, “You were fast.”

  
“Told you we would be,” “Vivian” winked at him and “Mary” just rolled her eyes.

  
“I swear it’s the last time I team up with her, Lorenzo!”

  
He laughed, “You always say that, Mary,” Their “artistic” names were also natural to him, even though he didn’t use one. Lorenzo was the Head of CIA Special Crimes Investigation whereas the two women were special agents, which means they just kick in whenever their special abilities are needed. Lorenzo didn’t need to protect his true identity; they did. Hence they were always in disguise whenever in action. “Vivian” always wore a red coat and a brown wig to cover her blonde curls. “Mary” didn’t see much sense in that, but “Vivian” always says that the best disguises are the ones who are too bold to actually be considered a disguise. On the other hand, “Mary” always had her hair up in a bun and wore green contact lenses and black suits. She would wear a mask to hide her long nose, but that’s not always possible. They also faked their accents: “Vivian” had an (incredibly forced in “Mary’s” opinion) French accent, which always gave criminals the impression that she had worked as a spy in France prior to this. “Mary”, on the other hand, faked her accent according to wherever she went, was it England, India, Brazil or Japan. That way she could blend among the natives.

  
They wore disguises because they were too important to be recognized in real life. “Mary” thinks she’s quite safe because she doesn’t get the same exposition “Vivian” gets. In real life, “Vivian” owns a real estate agency in Rosewood, PA. She builds and sells mansions to celebrities who wish to enjoy the town’s quiet and rich lifestyle. “Vivian” also mixes up with those celebrities as well – too much for “Mary’s” liking. She doesn’t know how the criminals hadn’t recognized her yet because “Vivian’s” face is literally stamped over the front-page of newspapers all across the country. “Vivian” is the sexiest woman in America according to Celebrity Magazine.

  
“Vivian” is Alison DiLaurentis, the CEO of Carissimi Group.

  
“Mary” is just Spencer Hastings – a lawyer who works for Alison.

* * *

 

“Do you want some wine, Spencer?” Alison asks, finally relieved that she’s no longer wearing a wig and that she could talk to Spencer freely as they were on a CIA plane back to Rosewood.

  
“No, I have to study,” Spencer pulls up a briefcase she always carries with her, “I’m working on your new brand, remember?”

  
“Come on, don’t be such a killjoy!” Alison tugged at her hand, “You can think about it tomorrow! Today, let’s celebrate!”

  
Spencer pulled her hand away, “We’ve got a meeting with Lorenzo tomorrow, remember? They’re letting Jenna Marshall out.”

  
Alison huffs and pours some wine into her glass, “I can’t believe they’re setting her free.”

  
“They can hardly leave a blind woman in a high-security cell,” Spencer snorts, “It’s a risk to Jenna’s security.”

  
“They underestimate her when they shouldn’t,” Ali takes a sip of her wine, “She’s still a well-known drug dealer and people still follow her. She can’t shoot guns now, but that doesn’t mean she can’t pay people to shoot for her.”

  
“Alison, everybody deserves a second chance,” Spencer argues, “You’ve had yours.”

  
“That,” The blonde twirls the liquid inside her glass in deep thought, “Wasn’t a second chance. It was more like a merit-based scholarship.”

  
Ali has never been evil – otherwise, she wouldn’t be a CIA special agent – but she was a very interesting child. One that had the mania of hiding stuff around her bedroom so neither her parents or her siblings could find them. As she grew up, her hiding abilities developed to a level that Alison became a master at hiding herself. She would disappear for days – weeks sometimes. It was not like her parents cared: her mother was busy fucking the closest man around and her father was always away on “business trips”. Her brother, Jason, was too high on marijuana and alcohol to even wonder where she went. The only one who ever thought about her was her sister, Charlotte.

  
When they were younger, Charlotte was basically Ali’s inspiration. She wanted to be strong and independent just like her. And Charlotte always gave her money, though Ali didn’t know how she got those fifty dollar notes when her parents barely spoke to them. Alison has always noticed that her parents tended to ignore her sister most of the time and she didn’t know why. Jason wouldn’t tell.

  
Until one day she found out where Charlotte’s money came from.

  
Her parents were away when one man knocked at their door looking for her sister. He was young and brunet and had blue eyes. His name was Eric. Charlotte sent him away and Ali didn’t understand why. Then she heard the words: “money”, “cheap”, “whore”, and “tranny”. Charlotte explained it all to her: she was born as Charles but refused to wear boys’ clothes after she turned six and took the name "Charlotte". In return, their parents refused to give Charlotte any attention until she went back to being the boy they knew. Charlotte never caved. So, lack of affection grew into lack of money, which grew into lack of communication. With the need to provide for herself, Charlotte, as she said, “spent time with men for money”.

  
Alison only realized that her sister had been a prostitute later on.

  
Either way, 11-year-old Alison was mad at her parents for ignoring Charlotte, so she confronted them. They threatened to leave her on the streets. So, she held her chin high and left by herself. Alison gathered all the money she had and went to New York. She slept on the streets and stole to survive. She was way too young when she realized she could charm men into giving anything she wanted if she kept them waiting. Luckily, she was clever enough to run away at the last minute. Eventually, Alison found a group of street kids who allowed her to live inside an abandoned building with them. At least she had more food and could sleep better, but she still didn’t trust them fully.

  
Alison was only found when her thigh had been slashed open after an accident involving a knife. She had no other option but to go to the next hospital so her wound could at least be closed. That’s when the police found her: a nurse recognized her from the news. She was brutally honest when the cops asked her why she had run away.

  
_“My parents are never there and my sister is forced to spend time with men for money. My brother gets weird when he smokes and my parents hate my sister because she was supposed to be a boy.”_

  
That was enough for the Atlanta Police Department to take her and Jason away from their parents. Aunt Mary – the twin sister of her mother – came forth and applied to be their legal guardian until they reached eighteen. Charlotte came with them as well – Mary asked her to and immediately told her that she was okay with her being transgender. Their aunt owned a small real estate company in Rosewood and allowed them to help with small tasks (such as cleaning the houses and helping her with basic Math) whenever they were free. And she employed Charlotte – giving her work experience and a reasonable wage so that she would never resort to prostitution again. Together, Aunt Mary and Charlotte paid for her surgery, which is something her sister is eternally grateful for.

  
Jason, on the other hand, had to be taken to rehab. However, he stopped using drugs and began to work with Aunt Mary once he turned 18. A couple of years later, he fell in love with a girl and she ended up pregnant. Jason dutifully accepted his role as a father, but, tragically, his girlfriend died in labor. His son survived though and Jason named him Seth.

  
Finally, Alison was the only sibling who still had a chance of going to college. However, she chose a different path: the CIA, impressed with the girl’s ability of hiding, stealing and charming, offered to train her so she could be a special agent. Of course, Alison accepted the offer. Though, shortly before her training began, Mary fell sick to cancer. Alison decided to put the training on hold so she could help her siblings take care of her and her company. She owed her, after all.

  
But Ali’s charm made the Carissimi Agency grow unexpectedly. With a few social skills, she found her way to celebrities and convinced them that having a mansion in Rosewood was a good deal. The income was so good that it allowed them to create a purse brand named Carissimi. With Ali’s celebrity contacts, it wasn’t that hard. Finally, Mary decided to retire and created the Carissimi Hug, a non-profit organization related to the group that offered free soccer classes to poor children.

  
In the middle of it all, Alison found time to get her training at CIA, but she had to convince them she could still be a special agent whilst acting as the CEO of a big company. In the CIA, she met Spencer Hastings, the girl whose IQ was over 180, and learned how to be a good spy. She offered Spencer a position inside the Carissimi Group and the other woman accepted, but only because she thought this was better than being a spy all the time. And then they came up with fake names and accents and it became a thing. In real life, they were a CEO and a wealthy lawyer. On mission, though, they were just “Vivian Darkbloom” and “Mary Smith”.

  
Spencer chuckled, breaking the haze of her memories, “Whatever you say, Ali.”

  
“If I hadn’t escaped from home, I would have been dead by now,” Alison takes another sip of her wine, “Or utterly unhappy at least.”

  
“Definitely not rich,” Spencer quirked her brow in amusement.

  
Ali agreed, “Definitely not rich.”

* * *

 

“Good afternoon, Ms. Marshall,” Lorenzo politely said to the woman in front of her. She had wavy brown hair, thick pink lips, and her eyes were covered by a bandage and sunglasses. This woman might have looked kind of frail, but she absolutely wasn’t. In fact, she was one of the most influential and dangerous people in the criminal world. Her name was Jenna Marshall and she was the greatest drug dealer in America.

  
“Good afternoon, Detective,” Jenna replied dryly, “I imagine that my tip has worked.”

  
Alison (well, Vivian) rolled her eyes. She couldn’t conceive the fact that, though they’ve managed to catch Jenna Marshall, they were going to let her go. It was too dangerous for Ms. Marshall to remain in prison, her defense attorney had claimed. The other inmates would try to hurt her and Ms. Marshall wouldn’t be able to defend herself because, well, she was now blind. So, they negotiated a parole with the CIA in exchange for information on other wanted criminals. Alison thought it was bullshit. Jenna was too dangerous to be set free. She might be blind now, but her brains were pretty much intact.

  
According to Spencer, what might have made the CIA take the deal was the fact that Jenna got blind due to a mistake of theirs – Alison’s specifically. They were chasing down a few members of Jenna’s group – the A Team – when Jenna’s men trapped them in a garage. In order to protect their identities, Alison shot a gas tank and jumped, taking Spencer with her as well. There was an explosion. Alison and Spencer only had minor injuries, but several of Jenna’s men died and she got blind – and that’s how they’ve managed to capture her. The CIA covered up the whole event by stating that it had been a gas leak.

  
“It has,” Lorenzo nods and brings Alison back to the conversation, “Our agents managed to capture Cyrus Petrillo in London.”

  
“I see,” Jenna smirks, “I hope he’s still in one piece.”

  
Alison clenches her fist on the table and opens her mouth to say something, but, just in time, Spencer distracts her by nudging her ribs.

  
“You’ve got an angry agent with you, Detective,” Jenna remarks. The bitch had some cat’s ears, “Should I call my lawyers?”

  
“Mr. Petrillo is under custody now,” Lorenzo ignores the taunt and continues, “And you should be released on parole tomorrow.”

  
“Thank you, Detective,” Jenna smiles wryly, “Now, it’s Vivian, isn’t it? The agent who blinded me.”

  
“Yes, it is,” Alison challenges back before Lorenzo or Spencer could stop her, “The agent who captured you, you mean.”

  
“I’m gonna find you,” Jenna promises, “I’m gonna find you and make sure you’ll lose more than your sight.”

  
“Missing jail already?!” Alison retorts, “If I had a say on this, you would’ve never left your cell.”

  
“Vivian!” Lorenzo warns.

  
Jenna snickers, “I know your voice now.”

  
Then, Jenna’s lawyers knocked, ready to whisk her out of the headquarters.

* * *

 

“Ali, are you insane?!” Spencer asked once they were far away from the interrogation rooms, “You’ve basically made Jenna Marshall put a target on your back!”

  
“She put a target on Vivian’s back, not mine,” Ali gave her a nonchalant shrug.

  
“She still has the money to hire a team to follow ‘Vivian’ around,” Spencer argued, “She CAN find out about you.”

  
“If she wanted to, she would have done it a long time ago,” Alison took off her wig and red coat and put on her cream leather jacket – her favorite.

  
“Wait! Where do you think you’re going?!”

  
“I’ve got a party to attend and there are some hungry mouths waiting for me, sweetie,” Alison flirtatiously winked at Spencer, “See you tomorrow, Spence!”

* * *

 

_**THE ROSEWOOD OBSERVER** _

 

 **ORGY? ALISON DILAURENTIS IS SPOTTED WITH FOUR WOMEN ON HER PARTY**  
_Sources claim this is not the first time DiLaurentis takes more than one person to her bed_

 **INTERPOL’S MOST WANTED PIMP CAPTURED IN LONDON**  
_CIA and London Metropolitan Police were also involved in mega-operation that arrested Cyrus Petrillo, accused of human trafficking_

 **OLYMPIAN EMILY FIELDS ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY**  
_Also known as “America’s Mermaid”, Fields is currently under PT for her injured left shoulder_

 

“Small note on the front page,” Emily snorts as she inspects The Rosewood Observer, “Thanks, Aria.”

  
“Don’t worry, babe,” Paige walked up behind her and kissed her fiancée’s cheek, “I’m sure you’re front page on the Sports section.”

  
“Aria told me it was front page material,” Emily recalled, “I’m okay with the Interpol note being on the front page, but Alison DiLaurentis? Seriously?”

  
“That woman is such a whore,” Paige takes the paper away from Emily’s hands, “Besides, how is her orgy more important than the recovery of an Olympic swimmer? Especially one like you, Em.”

  
“I don’t know. I guess that’s just the media nowadays,” Emily shrugged, though the fact that Alison DiLaurentis stole her spot on the front page was annoying her. Emily wouldn’t usually be petty about those things, but Aria had promised her that her story would be front page. In fact, it was the only reason why Emily gave her that interview in the first place. She was a shy woman at heart and would rather stay away from the media because they could be inconvenient. However, Aria – one of her best friends – was a journalist and worked for The Rosewood Observer. Though her friend usually respected her boundaries, she insisted on Emily’s recovery story that time because it was relevant – America deserved to know that their Mermaid was getting back in shape. Well, apparently America would like to read about Alison’s orgy first according to the editor’s choice.  
To be fair, she never met Alison DiLaurentis – only heard of her adventurous stories – but her other best friend, Hanna, worked for the Carissimi Group. At first, Hanna pretty much put Alison on a pedestal, but that quickly changed after she began to work for Carissimi. Alison could be a bitch, or so Emily heard. Honestly, Emily didn’t feel the pull to meet her either, much because she’s sure Alison will see her only as a piece of meat. Seriously, that woman had no regard for marital states. Either way, Emily had everything she needs right in front of her.

  
“I’m gonna make coffee for us,” Paige popped a kiss onto her forehead and went to the kitchen, missing how Emily lovingly rubbed the diamond ring on her finger. Paige was everything to her.

  
They met still in high school when the two of them swam for Rosewood Sharks. Paige was reluctant to come out at first, but Emily gave her the courage to do so. Their families and their peers supported them and they were Rosewood High’s It Couple for a moment. Then, everything changed when Emily’s parents died in a plane crash – a plane she hadn’t taken because she had stayed behind to spend a weekend with Paige. Her parents were basically her whole family and she was afraid that she would have to go to a shelter. Just in time, Paige’s parents stepped up and let her live with them. They did not legally adopted her but offered a roof, food, and support until high school was over.  
They went to Stanford – Paige’s choice – and remained together even when they were called to the Olympic team. Emily was the anchor – she has always been the fastest one – but Paige is an excellent swimmer. Emily is sure she wouldn’t win half of the races she did if Paige wasn’t on the team. Paige’s breaststroke was better than hers, while she exceeded in crawl and butterfly.

  
Two years ago, Paige proposed to her with a beautiful diamond ring. Emily blissfully accepted, but they decided to have the celebration after the Olympic Games so they could actually focus on their marriage. The thing is: Emily hurt her shoulder in a car accident in Rio, which delayed their celebration once again. As much as Paige wanted to exchange vows, Emily held back because she wanted to recover first.

  
To make things worse, Dr. Sullivan – who used to be the doctor of USA Swim Team – quit her job and suddenly disappeared from social media. To replace her, the team hired a doctor Elliott Rollins, but Emily wasn’t sure if she was fond of him. He seemed to like sticking needles on her arm, claiming that he was using a new and advanced treatment. Emily’s shoulder was often sore after she was given a shot, but it was apparently getting better.

  
“Em,” Paige returned from the kitchen with two green shakes in her head, “Your shake.”

  
Emily took the drink from her fianceé’s hands and smiled, “Thanks, love.”

  
“Hurry up so we won’t be late for practice,” Paige pecked her lips and said, “Oh, and don’t forget about the gala party tonight!”

  
USA Swim Team would host a gala party tonight in order to raise funds to teach poor children how to swim. Aside from being a basic survival skill, swimming could give those kids a better life and stop them from joining gangs, doing drugs and that kind of stuff. At least that’s what Emily hoped. Nevertheless, her dress was ready and she was looking up to the party.

  
“Emily, come on! Get dressed!”

  
“Okay, okay, I’m coming!” She drank her shake in one big gulp and ran to the bedroom to get changed.

* * *

 

“Feeling better, Emily?” Dr. Rollins asked with a distinct Scottish accent, “Ready for today?”

  
“Another shot?” Emily asked even though she already knew the answer.

  
“Yes,” He answered as he prepared the needle.

  
“What is the name of that medicine again?”

  
“ADV3,” Elliott answers, “It takes the pain away and helps your muscles recover.”

  
“It’s not doping, right?”

  
Elliott laughs, “No, Emily. It’s been certified by Wada.”

  
“Cool,” Emily blushes, “I-I’m just making sure of it.”

  
“Of course you are,” Elliott shakes it off, “But you can trust that I won’t do anything to harm your body or your career, Emily.”

  
“I trust you,” She looked at him and felt compelled to answer, even though she still did not trust him. At least not completely.

* * *

 

Emily regrets going to the party.

  
By midnight, she’s sitting all alone by her table with what must be her seventh glass of wine. Usually, athletes would be forbidden from drinking, but tonight was an exception. Also, Dr. Rollins hasn’t advised her against drinking during her treatment, so it’s not like Emily is sabotaging her career.

  
Paige is nowhere to be seen and Emily’s friends are talking to other people at the moment. Besides Shana and Sydney from the swim team, Hanna and Aria. Emily met both of them during college when they shared a room. Though they had different interests – Emily studied Biology while Hanna studied Fashion and Aria, Creative Writing – they bonded instantly and have been best friends ever since. Aria went on to become a Sports Journalism, which meant that Emily often served as her source. She was there covering the event with Senator Ezra Fitz by her side. Emily still thinks it’s weird how Aria became involved with a politician during her college years. Her friend never gave her a decent explanation, but Ezra has been treating her well so Emily thinks it’s alright.

  
Meanwhile, Hanna is there as a courtesy from her new employer, the Carissimi Group. Apparently, they want to design their own brand of swimsuits or goggles and this party was a perfect opportunity for them to meet the swimmers. However, Hanna is not talking to a swimmer; she’s talking to a tall woman with brown hair and a long nose who looks somewhat familiar. Emily guesses they work together, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s lonely.

  
A waiter comes to her table and offers her the eighth glass of wine of the night. She’s about to pick it up when a swift hand snatches the drink away from her.

  
“Hey!” Emily whines, hoping she didn’t slur and the person she’s talking to isn’t a journalist. Imagine “AMERICA’S MERMAID EMILY FIELDS GETS DRUNK IN GALA PARTY” in the headlines. That would deal a considerable amount of damage to her career.

  
“You’ve had too much already,” A woman replies. Emily looks up and sees an incredibly gorgeous blonde beauty twirling a glass of wine in her hand. She swears she’s seen those blue eyes already…

  
“Alison DiLaurentis,” The blonde offers her hand, “I’m here as a donor.”

  
The name clicks in Emily’s mind. Yes, Alison DiLaurentis, the rich girl who has been spotted in an orgy yesterday. That woman is trouble.

  
“Emily Fields,” The brunette takes her hand, “I’m a swimmer.”

  
“I know,” Alison nods and smiles. Emily flushes suddenly and she doesn’t know why, “You’re America’s Mermaid, aren’t you?”

  
“T-That’s just something the media came up with,” Emily dismisses the nickname.

  
“Well, it’s fitting,” The blonde raises her eyebrows suggestively and Emily feels like she’s choking. She needs to leave. Now.

  
“Ugh… I’m not feeling very well, so I think I should leave,” Emily gets up from her chair, but Alison unexpectedly blocks her way.

  
“Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own?” Alison asks with Emily thinks it’s concern in her voice, “I can pay a taxi or even drop you home if you need.”

  
Emily shakes her head, “It’s fine. I’m gonna go find my fianceé,” She stressed that last word and touched the ring on her finger, making sure Alison saw her gesture. She was taken, she wouldn’t fall for the tricks of a seductress.

  
“Okay,” Alison smiles and steps out of her way, “Nice to meet you in person, Emily.”

  
Emily looks at her one last time before leaving, “Nice to meet you too, Alison.”

* * *

  
  
Emily is about to call a taxi and leave. She’s been searching for Paige, but her fianceé is nowhere to be found. She even asked Hanna and Sydney if they had seen her, but both denied. Emily wonders if something bad actually happened and Paige is lying unconscious somewhere.

  
No. That can’t happen.

  
Walking across the parking lot, Emily notices a door she hasn’t seen before. It probably led to the staff room or something. Then, she hears strangled noises. Emily scoots closer and she swears that someone is moaning in there. Probably Alison DiLaurentis and her latest hook-up.

  
“Paige, don’t stop!” A familiar voice breathed out and Emily froze. How many Paiges were there in that party? She could only think of one, but, please, let it not be her!

  
Emily tiptoed until she spotted a gap – though she immediately regretted doing so. Paige was inside that room, pressing a woman against the wall as she fucked her with her fingers. That woman was Shana Fring.

  
Her fianceé was cheating on her with her teammate.

  
The worst thing was that Emily didn’t know what to do. She wanted to break into that room and catch them in the act. She wanted to yell at Paige and throw her ring at her. She even thought about going back to Alison DiLaurentis – or any other woman who would take her – as some sort of revenge. But Emily just stood there, unable to move.

  
This was probably her fault.

  
She only moved when Shana came and they were about to go back to the party. Emily ran back to the dance floor and called an Uber, sending Paige a text that she was not feeling well.

* * *

 

By the time Paige crawled into bed with her Emily has been faking sleep for at least two hours. Paige didn’t kiss her or tell her “I love you”. No, she just slumped beside Emily and didn’t even put an arm around her. Emily tried to remember if things had been mellow before, but she just can’t get her brain to think. It hurt. It hurt even more because she couldn’t cry because Paige was lying beside her at this very moment. Paige, the one who was supposed to keep her safe. The one who bought the ring who was burning on her left hand.

  
Where did she go wrong? Was it because she delayed their marriage and Paige thought she didn’t love her enough? Was because Emily was moody due to her injury? Or was it because Emily was just not good enough and Paige only came to realize it recently?

  
Never mind, it’s 6 am already and Emily gets off the bed because she doesn’t know how to face Paige in the morning. Instead, she puts on a jumper, legging pants, and her running shoes and leaves their apartment. She begins to run without a route in mind. She’s doing this to escape her thoughts not to overthink it all again.

  
She runs until her lungs give up, so she stops to catch her breath and buy a bottle of water in a newsstand. That’s when she saw that magazine cover:

 

 **ALISON DILAURENTIS: SEXIEST WOMAN IN AMERICA FOR 2 YEARS IN A ROW**  
_She’s not an actress, she’s not a singer, but she’s got charm. How Queen Bee, one of the wealthiest women in America, managed to seduce us all without being on your TV screen_

 

Emily snorts. Alison DiLaurentis was again on a magazine cover. That woman must either be extremely charming or have a great PR team. Then it clicked in her head. Alison DiLaurentis could make anyone fall for her. Alison DiLaurentis had some tricks on her sleeve.

  
That’s why Emily got her phone and dialed Hanna’s number. Her friend answered on the fifth ring.

  
“Emily, do you know what time is it?!”

  
“Hanna, does Carissimi have a swimmer endorsing their new brand?”

  
Hanna was going to hate her, but Emily needed to save her relationship.

* * *

 

Emily walked into Alison’s office nervously. She did not feel comfortable in a navy suit and heels and her plan was actually outrageous. Chances were Alison was going to throw her out of the building.

  
“So, Emily,” Alison said from her table without raising her eyes from the document she was reading. She wore a gray suit and, much to Emily’s surprise, a pair of glasses that made her look even sexier than on the magazine cover. Emily tries to slap that thought away. It was not the time for self-indulgence, “Hanna says you wanted to talk to me. What’s it about?”

  
“I know about your new swimsuit brand,” Emily comments, trying not to stutter, “And I wanted to ask you if you already have a swimmer endorsing it?”

  
Now Alison takes her eyes off the document she was reading and Emily knew she caught her attention, “As a matter of fact, I haven’t. Why?”

  
“Well, I could endorse your branch!”

  
“What’s your price?”

  
Emily swallowed hard. Now it’s the time, “I’m free of charge.”

  
Alison smirks, “Nothing is free in this world, Emily. What do you want?”

  
“I… Iwantyoutoteachmehowtoseducewomen,” Emily regurgitated.

  
“I’m sorry… What?”

  
“I… I want you to teach me how to seduce women,” Emily repeated, taking a deep breath before each word.

  
Alison almost fell from her chair. No, this was a stunt, it had to be. Emily Fields – America’s Mermaid with a killer body and a sweet smile – was requesting seduction classes. She giggles.

  
“Is this supposed to be a joke?!”

  
Emily flushes, both from anger and embarrassment, “N-No, it’s n-not! I need you to teach me how to seduce women!”

  
“Why? I thought you were engaged to Paige McCullers.”

  
“She...” Emily stopped herself from continuing. Never in hell would she mention to Alison that Paige was cheating on her. The blonde CEO would probably mock her for that, “We’ve been having problems in our relationship and I wanted to spice it up a little bit.”

  
Alison raised an eyebrow, “Couldn’t you just go to sex therapy or something?”

  
“I just...” Emily rubbed the back of her head. She hadn’t thought of that, so she fumbled for an excuse, “It’s not safe! I mean, we’re both Olympic athletes and people could find out.”

  
“And you decided to come to me?” The way Alison says the word ‘come’ should be forbidden, Emily thinks, but the blonde still doesn’t trust her. Emily can feel it.

  
“Y-Yes,” The brunette nodded, “Because you’re the sexiest woman in America.”

  
“Does Paige know about this?” Alison asked. This is starting to sound like a threesome proposal and, while Alison wasn’t opposed to those, she would rather not be naked in the same bed as Paige McCullers. Nothing personal, she just doesn’t find her attractive. Emily, on the other hand… It doesn’t matter. Emily seems to have problems in her relationship and Alison knows she shouldn’t prey on her misery.

  
“No, she doesn’t,” And if it were up to Emily and she never would, “I just t-thought that maybe you c-could teach me a few things so Paige and I-”

  
“Listen, Emily,” Alison sighed and cut in, “I don’t know what’s going on between you and your fiancée, but I can’t say yes to this. Whatever you’re going through, it seems personal.”

  
“Oh,” Emily lowered her head in defeat, “Okay,” She abruptly stood and picked up her purse, “L-Let’s forget we even had this conversation. S-See you around, Alison.”  
Emily was gone before Alison could say anything.

 


	2. Rule #2

_**Rule #2: Don't say yes recklessly** _

"Alison, where the fuck are you?!" Charlotte yelled through the phone as Ali tried to park her car. The CEO was late for a family meeting at lunch and her older sister was getting impatient.

  
"Cece, language, please!" Jason scolded, probably putting his hands over Seth's little ears.

  
"I'm already parking the car, Cece!"

  
"You'd better!" The other blonde chuckled and ended the call. Rolling her eyes, Alison finally parked her car in peace and walked to the restaurant, her heels clicking on the asphalt as she stepped.

  
"Aunt Ali!" A boy shrieked as soon as she arrived. Seth ran from their family's table and jumped into her arms. Alison huffed but managed to stand still, wrapping her arms around his tiny figure as she messed with his blond hair.

  
"How are you, sweetie?" She put him back on the ground and kissed the top of his head.

  
"I'm fine!" He tugged her hand and dragged Alison to the table, "Bu Aunt Ce is mad at you. She says you gotta stop looking at pretty girls."

  
"Ce!" Jason groaned.

  
"What?! I'm not lying, J!" Charlotte argued.

  
"Hello you two," Alison sarcastically greeted.

  
"Okay, kids," Mary called at the head of the table, "Time to stop with all that loving and order the food!"

  
"Thanks, Aunt Mary! I'm starving!" Alison dramatically put a hand over her stomach and slumped down on the chair.

  
"You've been wasting too much energy lately," Charlotte winked at her and Jason groaned again.

  
"Charlotte, you can't make comments like this in front of my son!

"  
"Comments like what, daddy?" Seth asked with big, innocent eyes, making Ali, Charlotte, and Mary burst out laughing.

  
"Jason, you're the one who's making it harder for yourself," Mary pointed out.

  
"Yes!" Charlotte agreed, "And it's not like your son doesn't agree with me."

  
"Oh no! Cece, don't go there!" Ali whined.

  
"Seth, don't you think Aunt Ali should get a girlfriend or a boyfriend?" Charlotte asked almost innocently.

  
"Yes!" The boy nodded, "I think Aunt Ali needs a pretty girlfriend!"

  
"See?" Charlotte pointed at the boy, "That's what I'm talking about!"

  
"Aunt Ali could date that mermaid we saw on TV, right, daddy?" Seth tapped on Jason's shoulder, "She's really pretty!"

  
"Wait, who?!" Charlotte asked.

  
"I think he's talking about Emily Fields," Jason answered and kissed the top of his son's head, "Seth's got a crush on her."

  
Alison froze when she heard that name. Emily Fields. That (stunning) woman who came into her office a week ago to beg her for seduction lessons. Discreetly, Ali picked her menu and shied away from the conversation.

  
"Oh my, that's cute!" Mary laughed along.

  
"Anyway," Jason cleared his throat, "It's time we ordered the food, right?" He spoke as he signaled for a waiter and ended the conversation.

* * *

 

"So..." Mary took a sip of her coffee and started, "When can you visit the kids, Ali?"

  
As soon as she recovered from her cancer, Mary created the Carissimi Hug, a branch of the Carissimi Group that aimed at helping poor kids through activities like soccer, art, and reading. Alison visited and spent time with the children as often as she could, but she has been busy lately with the company and the CIA. As much as the media pinned her as a fuckgirl and as a whore, Alison had a sweet side that loved children – and that was something she wanted to keep away from the lens.

  
"I can't make any promises, Aunt Mary," She replied honestly, "But I'll try to visit as soon as I can. Maybe this Saturday."

  
Mary seemed satisfied with her answer, "That's okay, my dear. I know you've been busy lately."

  
"Yes, Aunt Mary," Charlotte smiled, "She has a meeting with a different woman every day."

  
Jason just rolled her eyes and Alison controlled the urge to bash her sister, "Screw you, Cece! As a matter of fact, I have two jobs!"

  
Much to Ali's relief, her phone rang. It was Lorenzo.

  
"Now, excuse me, your husband is calling!"

  
Lorenzo and Charlotte met through Alison and they instantly hit off. Charlotte deserved some loving after everything she's been through and Lorenzo was a good guy. Most importantly, he didn't react badly when Charlotte revealed she was a trans woman. On the contrary, he admired her for what she's been through and promised to be by her side through everything. They got married two years ago.

  
"Ali, can you come here after lunch?" Lorenzo said, "We've got a new case for you and Spencer."

  
The blonde smiled in anticipation, "Count me in."

* * *

 

"You're late, Alison," Spencer snorts as she walked into the meeting room, "And you're not using a burner phone."

  
"Chill, Spencer," Alison shrugged, "Only you and Lorenzo have this number here in the CIA. My phone is safe, thank you."

  
"Why are you so reckless?!"

  
"Why are you so self-righteous?!"

  
"Girls, it's not the time to bicker around," Lorenzo cut in, "We have another case to solve."

  
Alison and Spencer glared at one another for one more second before turning their heads to Lorenzo.

  
"Bring it on," Ali nodded.

  
"This one is a little more delicate," He began, "My source claim that our Olympic Swim Team has a doping scheme going."

  
"Shouldn't they just handle it to Wada or something?" Ali asked nonchalantly.

  
"I've talked to some people of Wada, but they didn't have anything on our swim team," Lorenzo replied.

  
"Then you should seek better sources," Spencer smirked.

  
Their boss chuckled, "My source claims that this kind of doping is almost untraceable as of now. Chances of Wada catching something are dim. This is genetic doping."

  
"I got it, but… shouldn't the police or FBI be investigating it instead?" Alison asked.

  
"Alison, if this is indeed happening, either someone's bringing in those drugs or they are being developed here without the government's permit," Lorenzo explained.

  
"It's not the doping itself, it's the drugs," Spencer realized.

  
"Exactly," Lorenzo nodded, "We don't know yet if these rumors are true and, if they are, what impact those new drugs could have on an athlete's health."

  
"Okay," Ali nodded, finally understanding their new mission, "What do we need to do?"

  
"Spencer," Lorenzo turned to the lawyer, "I need you to check background from everyone in the national swim team. It's a long and boring work, but you'll be up to the task."

  
"Got it!"

  
"Ali, I need you to use your connections to get closer to people in the swim team and investigate from there. Can you do that?"

  
"Sure," Alison answered hesitantly, her mind shooting back to Emily's proposal a week ago. It would make her life easier in the CIA if she got closer to Emily, but it would certainly weigh on her conscience, "I can do that."

  
"Put your charm to use and sleep with someone from the team," Spencer taunted, making Ali gag.

  
"No, don't do that," Lorenzo came to her defense, "Do not get personally involved with your sources."

  
"I might hire Emily Fields to promote my new sports brand," Alison commented absentmindedly. Of course, she wouldn't mention Emily's marital problems to Lorenzo and Spencer. They didn't need to know the true reason behind Emily's proposal.

  
"Is she up to it?" Spencer asked.

  
"I think she would accept the job," Alison knew Emily would if she offered to teach her "seduction lessons". But the thought of it makes Alison feel like a jerk or something worse.

  
"Well, there's our chance," Lorenzo pointed out, "You can get closer to Fields and investigate the swim team."

  
"I'm not sure if I could do this," Ali hesitated, "Perhaps I should just screw one team member and get it over with."

  
Sure, it was easier for her to screw around – it was almost natural in fact. But what Alison couldn't do was use Emily's vulnerability for a CIA case. She was not that person… yet she needed that information.

  
"Come on, Ali, the worst that could happen is that Emily is going to hate you. The best thing you'll help put cheaters in jail," Spencer argued with her brain, as always.

  
"But Emily? She's America's Mermaid. She hasn't done anything wrong until now!" Alison whined.

  
"Everybody looks good on the outside," Lorenzo quietly said.

  
"Listen here, Alison. You've seen what the Russians did. We can't let Wada find out about this or we won't have a swim team in Tokyo, never mind the damage to our reputation. If you know someone, you have to act on it!" Spencer pressed on.

  
"Okay, okay!" Ali threw her hands back, "I'll try, but I'm not sure she'll accept the job."

  
"Well, seduce her if you need!" Spencer said.

  
Oh, how Alison wished she wouldn't have to!

* * *

 

Alison runs her hand through her hair as she locked and unlocked her phone for the sixth time already. Her mind was in an intense conflict: should she call Emily and ask her if that deal is still up? Or should she not do that and find another source for the CIA? Well, Alison could always say that Emily refused her business offer and that they would have to find someone else. After all, they couldn't force Emily to be her source.

  
But there was Spencer fucking Hastings.

  
Spencer worked for the Carissimi group and Alison knew she would press on the subject. She would talk to Emily until she convinced her to endorse their brand and Emily would reveal that Alison hadn't contacted her at all. And then Spencer would kill her "because the CIA needs a source" and if Alison couldn't find one, Spencer would make one.  
Alison will have to call.

  
Taking a deep breath, she dialed the number she had found in the CIA database. The number could be wrong, couldn't it? At least that's what Alison hoped because that would give her an excuse to postpone her mission and, maybe, think of something more ethical. Much to her disgrace, however, Emily picked up on the first ring, much to the blonde's surprise.

  
"Hello?" The swimmer's voice echoed through the phone.

  
"Emily Fields?" Ali gulped, "It's Alison DiLaurentis, from the Carissimi Group."

  
"How do you know my number?" Emily shot back and Alison could almost picture the brunette raising her eyebrow.

  
"I have my ways," Alison stares at the CIA database in shame.

  
"As long as you don't give my number to the media..."

  
"Trust me, I'm not doing that," Alison chuckled lightly, "I know how annoying reporters can be."

  
"Good," Emily replied with some uncertainty.

  
"So..." Alison cleared her throat awkwardly, "Is that offer still up?"

  
"Why are you asking this?" Emily asked back.

  
"Maybe I've changed my mind."

  
"Why?"

  
"Because the idea of you promoting my new sports brand for free is tempting," Because I need to get close to the National Swim team and you're the easiest way. Alison couldn't help but feel like she was using Emily. But, then, again, Emily was the one who wanted to use her intel and Emily was the one who asked her first.

  
"Only if you give me the classes."

  
"Sure!" Alison had a feeling she was going to regret this, "When do we start?"

  
"Is Saturday good for you?" Emily offered, "I'm on PT all week."

  
Alison couldn't on that Saturday because she would be visiting Aunt Mary, "Sundays, please? I've got something on Saturday."

  
"You seem like a busy woman."

  
"You're an Olympic champion," Ali commented, "I'm pretty sure you understand crazy schedules."

  
"Yeah, I do," Emily laughed quietly, "It's a deal then?"

  
"It's a deal."

  
There was an awkward silence between them before Alison remembered something important.

  
"Just don't forget to stop by my office to sign the deal," The blonde remembered, "I'll write it down as soon as I can."

  
"Deal? Are we pulling up a Sheldon and Amy?" Alison laughed at the Big Bang Theory reference.

  
"No, you have to sign a deal stating that you agree to endorse my brand."

  
"Oh God, I almost forgot about that!" Emily sighed, "I'll come by tomorrow."

  
"See you then, Emily."

  
"See you," Alison hang up, feeling scared than she's ever been before.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Tell me what you think of this! See ya ;)


	3. Rule #3

_**Rule #3: Always Start With a Conversation** _

Alison took a deep breath as she walked into the meeting room. She still felt terrible about using Emily in order to get close to the National Swim Team. Today she was going to announce that Focus D will be endorsed by Emily Fields, aka America's Mermaid. Deep inside of her, Alison hoped her directors were going to confront her decision. Maybe they would claim that they hadn't had a say on this decision. Perhaps Cece was going to say that Emily wasn't the right choice because they needed an outspoken athlete. Or Spencer was going to find a mistake in the contract and they would have to do it all over again – and by then the CIA will have concluded that there was no shady business going on the swim team.

  
"Alison, what are you waiting for?" Cece called out and Alison blinked awake, realizing she had stood in the doorway for too long. All her directors and her assistants were staring at her. She only cleared her throat and walked into the room with all the dignity she could muster.

  
"Well, as you know, I called you here because I have a big announcement to make," Alison started straight away. She didn't like meetings that dragged on and on anyway, "I have found an athlete to endorse Focus D."

  
"Without consulting us?!" Spencer shot up her brow, asking one of the questions Ali had foreseen.

  
"It was an opportunity I could not pass."

  
"Well, they better fit in the budget!" Spencer complained.

  
"Who is the athlete, Alison?" Jason, the actual financial director, asked.

  
"Emily Fields," She answered and the people in the room let out a few gasps, "Some of you might know her as America's Mermaid."

  
"And how did it happen?" Cece asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

  
Alison pulled out her best poker face and told them the story she memorized in front of the mirror this morning, "I met her during the swim team's ball for charity. She was talking about how she needed publicity now that she's slowly getting back on track and I saw that as an opportunity because we need a big face for our new brand. Then I made a proposal and she accepted."

  
"How much, Ali?" Jason went straight to the point.

  
Ali took a deep breath, "She's doing it for free."

  
"What?!" Spencer slammed the table.

  
"I offered her a number and she just told me she was happy only with free publicity. I didn't question it."

  
Jason looked at her as if she was crazy but accepted her answer anyway.

  
"And what about her contract?" Spencer asked.

  
"I'm handling it."

  
"What, you won't even let me see it?!"

  
"Spencer, I'm the CEO of this company, I'm fit enough to write a contract," Ali shot back, "Does anyone have any more questions?"

  
"Well, I'm all for it!" Cece commented, "Emily's got a wonderful body to work on."

  
"Please, don't say that in front of her," Alison reprimanded and walked to the door, "You're all dismissed now."

* * *

 

Emily was drinking coffee in a cafe near the National Swim Team training facilities when her phone rang. It was Hanna.

  
"Han? Everything okay?"

  
"I'm fine," Her curt reply let Emily know that something was definitely not fine, "Where are you, Emily?"

  
"I'm drinking coffee while I wait for Paige," The brunette glanced out of the window to see if her fianceé wasn't coming, "Why?"

  
"Oh, nothing," Hanna replied in a sarcastic tone, "Why didn't you tell me you're going to endorse Focus D, that is, may I remind you, the brand I'm working on?!"

  
Shit! Emily didn't see that coming.

  
"I'm sorry, Han," She apologized, "Who told you that?!"

  
"Who, of course?! Alison DiLaurentis!" Hanna replied and Emily swore that her best friend was actually screaming on the phone, "She told me that she met you during that charity party AND that you're doing it for free!"

  
Emily didn't know what she should say because that was one thing she didn't expect. Of course, she never meant to leave Hanna in the dark but she also couldn't tell her the real reason behind her deal with Alison. Another thing: she had no idea what Alison told Hanna, so if she says something she might contradict the other blonde and Hanna is quick to catch on those things. Therefore, she opted for her last resort.

  
"Han, Paige is coming, I'll explain everything later!"

  
"Emily, wait-!"

  
The swimmer hung up her phone and rubbed her temples. Her deal with Alison was going to be more complicated than she thought.

* * *

 

"Ali?" Spencer knocked on her door, "Can I come in?"

  
"Sure," Alison sat back on her chair, "I was about to leave, but sure."

  
"I wanted to talk to you about Emily Fields."

  
"Go on."

  
"Ali, when I told you to get close to Emily Fields it didn't mean you had to endorse her!" "You wanted me to sleep with her, but I can't do that because Emily's engaged," Alison lied. Of course, she was not going to tell Spencer the truth about her deal with Emily, "I had to find my way around."

  
"Do you realize that this could backfire on you, Alison?" Spencer pointed, "Not only you'll be close to her, but if Emily is involved in this it will damage your reputation."

  
"That's a risk I'm going to take," Alison said, "And Emily is not the enemy here, Spencer."

  
"You can't know that for sure."

  
"I just feel it, okay?" Ali ran a hand through her blonde locks, "Do you know how many times my gut feeling has saved us?!"

  
Spencer rolled her eyes, "More than I care to admit."

  
"Then just trust me, okay?"

  
Her partner just stared at her. Alison knew Spencer didn't trust her fully on this yet.

  
"I will," The lawyer went back to the door, "But don't fuck this up, Ali. I mean it."

* * *

 

Emily took a deep breath as she stood outside Alison's door. This Saturday was the day of the first lesson and Emily couldn't help but feel nervous. What if Alison told her she was a total failure? What if there was no way to save her relationship with Paige? No, Emily shook her head. She was going to be positive and believe things were going to get better. Alison was going help her and she was going to win Paige back.

  
Therefore, Emily closed her eyes and knocked on the door three times. Alison opened the door and Emily gasped softly. The woman in front of her wasn't the femme fatale that stole the heart of half America. She was just an ordinary woman: natural blonde curls, deep blue eyes, a GAP brown sweater and a pair of faded blue jeans. Yet, there was a confidence in the way Alison moved that was sexy by itself and it helped that Alison was naturally gorgeous. Emily was dressed in black pants that supposedly made her butt look good and a navy long-sleeved shirt that made her boobs stand out. Even so, Alison was sexier than her in that moment. At least that's what Emily thought because she couldn't tear her eyes away from the blonde.

  
"Hi, Emily," Alison said, apparently oblivious to her ogling, "Come on in."

  
The swimmer quietly nodded and walked into Alison's apartment. It was smaller than Emily had pictured, but there were touches of class and posh in the decoration, from the immaculate white leather sofa in her living room to the expensive bottles of whiskey on display in her open cupboard.

  
"Your place is really nice," Emily commented absentmindedly.

  
"Thanks," Alison nodded, "Care to join me in my office? You need to sign our contract."

  
"Okay," Emily let Alison guide her to a small room next to what appeared to be the main bedroom. Emily caught herself staring at that bed for too long, thinking about how many people Alison had taken home.

  
Her thoughts were interrupted by Alison, who opened the door and flicked on the lights. Emily took in her surroundings as Alison turned on her Mac and began to type something. That's when Emily noticed two big shelves full of books standing near Alison's desk. She walked to the shelves and read a few titles: "To Kill a Mocking Bird", "Oliver Twist", "A Christmas Carol"… Much to her surprise, Alison had a collection of classics. Emily was half expecting the books to be about business, marketing, stock actions and stuff.

  
"See anything you like?" Alison crept up behind Emily, scaring her with her presence and intoxicating her with her vanilla's perfume.

  
"I-I didn't know you were into literature."

  
"I am, but the papers don't talk about it, huh?"

  
Emily laughed softly, "No, they don't."

  
"Do you like literature as well?" Alison asked.

  
"Not really," Emily smiled sheepishly, "I've always been a typical jock in that sense. But there's a book that really gets me."

  
"What is it?"

  
"Great Expectations."

  
"This one?" Alison went back to her desk, opened the first drawer and fetched a hard covered book from it. Then, she walked to Emily and handed it to her. Emily's brown eyes lit up as her hand caressed the hardcover of the book.

  
"Pip always gets Estella in the end," She commented, unsure if Alison was listening to her.

  
"I know," The blonde replied, "I read the end for the millionth time yesterday. It's my favorite book as well."

  
Emily looked up from the book's cover and found Alison staring at her. They held their gazes for a moment and Emily had a strange feeling in her guts. Strange, but not unpleasant. Maybe it was just because it's the first time someone understands her passion for "Great Expectations". Emily never had this connection with anyone before.

  
"You can keep it if you like it," Alison offered gently.

  
"I don't know," She shyly refused, "It's your favorite book too."

  
"I probably read it too much," Alison snorted, "At least that's what Cece says."

  
"Cece?"

  
"My older sister."

  
Emily knew Alison had two siblings but they weren't mentioned a lot in her interviews. Maybe it's because Alison wants to keep her family to herself, Emily speculates. She does that as well. That's why she very seldom mentions her parents are dead on interviews.

  
"I think I'll keep the book then," Emily smiled softly and put the book inside her purse.

  
"Don't mention it," Alison winked, "Let's talk about your contract now."

  
"What about it?"

  
Alison took Emily's wrist, dragged the athlete back to her desk and showed her a document, "I added a confidentiality clause just to be safe. We are not to mention this agreement to anyone."

  
"Sure," Emily nodded. If the media found out about this, her marriage would be over and so would be her career, "What about your employees?"

  
"What employees?"

  
"Well, someone must've helped you with that contract," Emily said, "And someone will notice you're not paying me."

  
"I made this contract on my own, though Spencer hates me for it."

  
"Spencer?"

  
"Spencer Hastings, my Juridic Director," Alison explained, "She always writes all of our contracts and stuff, but I wrote this one. And Jason, my brother and Financial Director, is happy that he won't have to pay you."

  
"Wow," Emily rolled her eyes, "But did you tell them about… our situation?"

  
"No," Alison stared her deep in the eyes, "This is between you and me."

  
The brunette swallowed hard. Was Alison flirting with her?

  
"G-Good."

  
"I'll give you some time to read it alone. After you sign, come meet me in the living room. I'll be waiting for you," Alison winked and squeezed Emily's forearm. Emily shivered and followed Alison with her eyes and she walked out of the office.

* * *

 

Emily went to Alison's living room after reading and signing the contract only to find the blonde woman twirling a glass of red wine in her hands.

  
"Want some?" Alison asked.

  
"I can't drink because of my medication and stuff."

  
"Oh, right," Alison drank the last of her wine and stood up, "Do you want some water instead?"

  
Emily sat on the couch and nodded, "Sure."

  
"I'll be right back."

  
The swimmer began to play with her fingers as she watched Alison go to the kitchen. She didn't know what to do or say because this was supposed to be her first lesson. Alison still hasn't talked to Emily on how she planned to approach the subject and Emily wasn't sure of what Alison's methods would be. She just hoped Alison wouldn't drag her to a night club and make her flirt with a random girl (only to get caught by a paparazzi and exposed on the media).

  
"What are you thinking of?" Alison startled her as she returned from the kitchen with a glass of water in her hands.

  
Emily took the glass and drank a big gulp of water, hoping it would calm her nerves a little. Then, she finally found the courage to speak.

  
"How are we going to do this?"

  
"This what?"

  
"The seduction classes."

  
"Oh," Alison nodded in acknowledgment, "I think we should start with a conversation."

  
"A conversation?"

  
"More like an interview," Alison explained and sat beside Emily, "I'm gonna ask some questions and you can answer them, but only if you feel comfortable enough."

  
"Oh, okay," Emily thought that was actually a good idea, to begin with.

  
"So, can we start?"

  
"Sure."

  
"Emily, how long you and Paige have been together?"

  
"Ten years, I think," Emily counted on her fingers.

  
Alison looked shocked, apparently counting as well, "Wait, so you've been together since you were fifteen?!"

  
"Yes," Emily frowned, "Why?"

  
"Was she your first kiss and your first… you know?"

  
"No, she wasn't my first kiss," Emily didn't answer the last question on purpose, "Why?"

  
"I don't know. I just think it's weird to stay with your high school sweetheart for the rest of your life," Alison shrugged nonchalantly. But then, again, she wouldn't know. She hadn't had a high school sweetheart.

  
"Well, some of us still believe in true love," Emily replied, a little annoyed, "I mean, it's okay to sleep around if you want, but some of us are still romantic at heart."

  
Alison chuckled at the dig, "Does Paige believe in true love too?!"

  
Emily huffed. Alison's reply hurt her more than it should have, "Well, you might be used to throwing people away, Alison. But I believe in relationships and in fixing them."

  
"You can't fix what doesn't want to be fixed," Alison shot back with way more honesty than she wanted. Emily rolled her eyes, ran a hand through her hair and slouched on the couch, "You're a hopeless romantic, Emily. Be careful not to get your heart broken."

  
"I don't know what am I doing here when you don't believe in love, Alison," Emily picked her purse in a silent threat to leave, "I thought we were supposed to help each other."

  
"I am trying to help you here, Emily," Alison replied calmly.

  
"Then teach me how to seduce a woman!"

  
"Like this?!" Alison suddenly grabbed Emily by the neck and pulled her so close that there was barely an inch between their noses. Emily noticed Alison's sweet breath on her mouth and made the mistake of looking into the other woman's eyes. How many shades of blue, gray, and green swam in those orbs? Emily didn't know because she lost count. She closed her eyes so as to not lose herself again and felt Alison massage the back of her neck. Emily didn't want to admit it, but she slowly relaxed into her touch.

  
It might have been a second, it might have been an eternity but Alison finally pulled away.

  
"I think we had enough for today," The blonde scooted over to the other edge of the couch.

  
"I think so too," Emily awkwardly coughed.

  
"I'll be calling you this week," Alison announced, "We need to schedule a photo shoot."

  
"Okay," Emily nodded quietly, "See you then, Alison."

  
"See you then."

  
Emily got up and left, wondering why her heart was beating so fast.

  
Back in the apartment, Alison was thinking the same.

* * *

 

It took Alison just one week to organize a photoshoot and Emily didn't know if she was impressed or nervous. She didn't have much love for the cameras, especially when she wore leotards. Luckily, marine blue was just her color (thanks, Hanna!) and that made her feel slightly more confident. However, Emily couldn't help but feel uneasy as she watched Paige glaring daggers at the arm Ben Coogan from the male team had around her waist. They were currently posed together and Paige's jealousy confused her. Why would she cheat and then be jealous?

  
"Emily," Alison DiLaurentis called her attention. Of course, she would attend to the photoshoot, even though Emily hoped she didn't. It was uncomfortable to be around Alison, considering all the information the blonde had on her. Though Alison wasn't treating her differently, she still made Emily jumpy.

  
Alison quietly walked to her and gestured for the photographers to wait. Then, she stood in front of Emily and Ben and analyzed their current position: they were hugging, arms around each other's waist. Nothing too close or imposing, but with a hint of romantic subtext. Alison took Emily's face gently in her hands and tilted her chin to the opposite side of where Ben was standing. Like that, she was facing away from him, "Give it a little more space between you two and the pose will be perfect."

  
Alison walked back to her place and Emily frowned as she realized Paige had watched the whole interaction intently.

  
After a few pictures, Ben was given a break so Emily could be photographed alone. She had to lie in silky sheets that resembled the sea and pose for the cameras. It was probably cringy as fuck because in no way was Emily a sex woman.

  
That is until Alison decided to interfere again.

  
This time, she knelt in front of Emily and slid her hand underneath Emily's hip, making the brunette gasp in surprise.

  
"Excuse me," Alison said so as to not scare the other woman and adjusted Emily's hips to have her more exposed to the cameras. Then, she moved to her legs and strategically bent her knees. Emily thought Alison lingered on her skin for a little too long but she had not much time to think about because Alison slid closer to her head and threw Emily's hair back.

  
"There, there," Alison winked at her before turning away and Emily could hear Paige fuming on the other side.

  
This deal was not going to be easy.

* * *

 

 _ **OLYMPIC CHAMPION EMILY FIELDS TO ENDORSE FOCUS D** _  
_There are no details of the contract yet, but America's Mermaid had a photo shoot with Focus D's team, whose CEO is Alison DiLaurentis_

* * *

 

Two weeks later, Paige left Emily alone again in a party. They were attending the Focus D Ball, where Emily was supposed to be talking to journalists, and Alison and her team were supposed to be meeting up with investors. The swim team was obliged to go because Focus D endorsed two of their athletes, but that didn't mean Emily wanted Paige to go. She knew that her fianceé felt left off on occasions like that. To be fair, Emily didn't give Paige much attention because of her interviews and maybe she was to blame.  
Now Paige and Shana were nowhere to be seen – probably fucking in a secluded room. Sydney was talking to a woman in red dress with an elegant bun and glasses. Emily couldn't recognize her because she was facing her back. Aria was interviewing Dr. Rollins and Hanna was having a glass of champagne with a coworker Emily has seen but not recognized yet. In other words, Emily was all alone.

  
That is until Alison DiLaurentis came up to her.

  
"Enjoying the party, Emily?" She was wearing a red dress and, God, she looked even sexier now. Emily's mouth was dry and she took a while to respond.

  
"Yes, I am."

  
"It doesn't seem like it," Alison pointed out and stepped closer, "Where is your fianceé?"

  
Emily tried to stare straight ahead and not look at the blonde's face, "F-Fetching us a drink."

  
Alison leaned in, grabbed her hip, and whispered in her ear, "Liar. I've been watching you for fifteen minutes and I never saw her leave."

  
Emily blushed, but she didn't know if it was because Alison caught her lying or because she was standing too close. The blonde's vanilla scent invaded her nostrils just like that time in Alison's couch and Emily didn't know how to react.

  
Lucky for her or not, Paige showed up across the room. And she was watching the scene intently.

  
Alison followed her gaze and laughed softly.

  
"Your fianceé is the jealous type, isn't she?" Emily swears that Ali's lips brush against the shell of her ear as she speaks. Then, the swimmer dares to look up and finds Paige glaring at them, especially at the hand Ali keeps on her hipbone.

  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Emily presses a hand to Ali's chest and pushes her away as discreetly as possible. She didn't want to make a scene.  
Still, Ali lingered dangerously close, "Oh, I think you do," she whispered, "She was jealous of Ben Coogan during the photo shoot and she looks like she wants to rip my throat right now."

  
"Alison!" Emily quietly reprimanded.

  
"Funny, she just left with Shana fifteen minutes ago," Alison remarkably noted, "Now she feels entitled to be mad at me just for entertaining you for a few seconds," At this, Alison playfully winks and leaves Emily to her own company.

* * *

 

Alison walked away from Emily and saw Paige marching towards her as if challenging Alison for the hand of a pure maiden. The blonde rolled her eyes. A woman is not a prize or a possession. But Ali wasn't one to back down from a challenge, so she sashayed towards Paige as well and they met halfway.

  
It's a battle between their fierce stares: Paige's explosive brown eyes and Ali's gelid glare. Paige bumps their shoulders as they walk by. Alison watched by the tail of her eye as Paige squints at her lack of reaction. She probably expected Ali to wince, considering that Paige seemed physically stronger than her. She didn't know that Ali was a (fit) CIA agent. Apparently, this was the last straw to the swimmer because she roughly pulled Ali by the arm, finally winning her attention.

  
"McCullers?" Ali raises her brow sarcastically. She had faced (and defeated) dozens of criminals scarier than Paige. And most of them had guns as well.

  
"I'll warn you just one time, DiLaurentis: stay away from my fianceé!" Paige growled.

  
Ali snickers, "Not confident on your game, huh?"

  
"She's not one of those bitches you like to fuck on your bed," Paige claimed and Alison smirked as she was proven right. Paige saw Emily as a possession, not as her fianceé.

  
"I never do anything unless they're willing."

  
Paige puffs her chest and steps closer to Alison in an attempt to scare her. Alison tilts her head in an unspoken provocation. If Paige wanted to punch her, Alison would let her. Her reputation as a businesswoman would remain unscathed whereas Paige could be kicked off from the swim team. Alison didn't care. When she fought in a war, she won.

  
"Ali," Suddenly, Spencer comes in between them and gives her a knowing look, "Aria Montgomery wants to talk to you."

  
"Saved by the bell," Alison scoffs at Paige and Spencer reprimands her with a glare, "Thank you, Spencer. I'm going to talk to her now. See you later, McCullers."

* * *

 

_**ALISON DILAURENTIS: "SPORTS CREATE THE GODS WE WORSHIP TODAY"** _   
_The sexiest woman in America gave ‘The Rosewood Observer' an exclusive interview about her new brand, ‘Focus D'_

 


	4. Rule #4

_**RULE #4: A ROMANTIC ATMOSPHERE IS THE KEY** _

Emily lowered her goggles on her eyes and took a deep breath. It was her first time in the pool since her injury but her shoulder was already hurting when it wasn't supposed to. She was only doing easy laps and was not going too fast. Perhaps her injury was worse than she thought.

  
Suddenly, she heard cries coming from the pool where the U21 team trained. The girls were jumping out of water desperately like crazy dolphins and Emily wondered what had caused such frenzy. The answer was casually sitting on a bench near the U21 pool:

  
Alison fucking DiLaurentis.

  
The blonde was apparently oblivious to the mess she'd created, strolling through her phone like the good businesswoman she was.

  
"What the fuck is she doing here?" Emily heard Paige whisper from the other side of the pool.

  
"Wow, she's really pretty," Sydney commented absentmindedly and Shana rolled her eyes.

  
"Come on, girls, we've got a lot of swimming to do," They all lowered their gazes and began to swim again.

  
Emily turned her head and found Alison staring back at her. The blonde winked and Emily hid the blush on her cheeks by diving underwater.

* * *

 

Emily finished her practice one hour earlier so she could get her shot and work on her arm. As soon as she left the pool and wrapped a towel around her body, she heard footsteps coming from behind.

  
"Emily!" Alison waved, "Can I join you?"

  
"Uh… I'll just take my shot, but sure," She responded awkwardly, feeling Paige's jealous glare burn on the back of her head, "I'll just take a quick shower and then we can go."

  
"Okay," Alison went back to the bench she was sat on earlier as Emily went to the locker room.

* * *

 

"Dr. Rollins?" Emily entered into his office with Alison in her tow.

  
"Ready for your shot today, Fields?" Rollins was already preparing the needle when he set his eyes on Alison. He checked her out and Emily didn't know why, but she felt disgusted, "And who's the lovely lady with you?"

  
"I'm Alison DiLaurentis," The blonde came forward and offered her hand to the doctor.

  
"You're the beauty from the Carissimi Group, am I correct?" Rollins kissed the back of Alison's hands and Emily rolled her eyes. That guy was so unprofessional!

  
"You're right," Alison pulled her hand back, "What do you have in that needle?"

  
"Painkillers, mostly. Fields, take a seat," Rollins said and she obeyed. Alison sat right beside her. Rollins sat on Emily's left side, rubbed a cotton ball against her forearm and then injected the medicine. Emily gasped in pain and, surprisingly, Alison was rubbing circles on the back of her hand. Emily didn't know why, but her touch was eerily relaxing.

  
"There, there," Rollins took out the needle a couple of seconds later, "You'll be good to go."

  
"Thank you," Emily got up from her seat and Alison did the same.

  
"See you around, Alison?" Rollins asked and Emily shifted uncomfortably.

  
The blonde just turned around and said, "Perhaps. Now Emily and I have things to discuss," She took Emily by the hand and dragged her out of his office.

  
As soon as they were out of the doctor's room, Alison turned around and asked, "Ready for your second lesson?"

  
"Today?!"

  
The blonde frowned, "Is it a bad day?"

  
"No, it's not," Emily looked away, "I'm just surprised, that's all."

  
"Okay," Alison nodded awkwardly, "Can you come to my place for your second lesson?"

  
"What time?"

  
"Six."

  
"I can manage that," Emily agreed.

  
"Perfect," Alison said, "I gotta go now. See you later, Em."

  
"… See you," The brunette was wonderstruck because of Ali calling her by the nickname.

* * *

  
Alison bought a burner phone as soon as she left the USA Swim Team training facility and dialed Lorenzo's number.

  
"Detective Calderon speaking."

  
"Agent Darkbloom speaking," Alison used her alias, "Have we investigated the doctor?" "There's no reason to. Why?"

  
Alison rolled her eyes,"I just thought it could be a great start, considering we're dealing with genetic doping."

  
"What are you talking about, Alison?" Lorenzo demanded.

  
"Listen, I saw the doctor… He goes by Rollins, I guess… he was injecting something into Emily's shoulder. He told me it was a pain killer, but I'm not so convinced."

  
"Agent Darkbloom, that's not unusual. It's just a doctor taking care of his patient."

  
"Alright, Lorenzo. I just thought we might look into it because the main way of getting modified genes into your body is using a needle."

  
Lorenzo sighs in defeat, "Okay, but even so: no judge will give a warrant to investigate him and we can't talk to him because it's a secret investigation. We don't want it to be all over the press!"

 

"Then let me break into his office and I'll find out!" Alison suggested.

  
"Wait, are you insane, Vivian?! Any evidence you find won't be usable in court! I'll have Agent Smith remind you that!"

  
"I'll just see what's he using in those needles, take a picture and then we say it was an anonymous tip," Alison insisted. She knew she was about to break a bunch of federal rules, but she honestly didn't care. The thought of that creepy doctor injecting weird substances into Emily's body made her want to puke.

  
"Too risky. Agent Smith won't like it. And what if you get caught?"

  
"You know that's not a possibility, right?" She sassed.

  
Lorenzo huffs, "Fine, Ali. Find those needles. But if nothing comes up, then forget about it!" "I'm never wrong!"

  
"And be careful around Emily!" Lorenzo advised, "She might be involved in this."

  
"I honestly don't think so, Lorenzo," Alison said. No way sweet Emily Fields would be involved in a doping scheme.

  
"You never know. Just promise you'll be careful."

  
"Promise," Alison turns off, drops her phone and smashes it with her heels.

* * *

 

A few hours later, Emily was already in Ali's apartment wearing her best jeans and her best plaid shirt while the blonde was wearing legging pants and a loose T-shirt. Emily wondered how Alison could look so beautiful while dressing so simple.

  
"Okay, now that you're here we can move on to our next topic," Ali began, "The romantic atmosphere."

  
"It all begins with image. How you present yourself is the key of seducing people. First of all, it's not all about the clothes. If you wear the right thing, it will make an impact, but only if you're comfortable enough. But I don't think that is your problem, Emily," Alison remarks, eyeing her up and down and Emily blushes, "Anyway, first you dress comfortable. Second, you act like you're confident. The key word is act. You don't need to be confident, you just need to play the part."

  
"Do YOU play the part?" Emily asked.

  
"Sometimes. Took me a while to learn all of this. I remember it was hard for me to accept that I like girls. I only did that after my sister came out to us as a trans woman and that encouraged me to do the same. So, I came up to them and said, 'I'm bi'. I held my head high, but my knees were shaking. Then, they all said 'we know'. It was a relief almost as much as it was a joke."

  
Emily laughed, "I can't imagine you being insecure."

  
"Told you it happens," Ali winked, "But after you act confident, you build up some courage and go talk to the person. It could be about anything. Then you say something good about their appearance. You give her some lingering touches. Then, you ask if you can take her home. When you do, ask for a glass of wine. It always helps to take the next step. But don't drink more than one glass because you might get her or yourself drunk and then the night is over."

  
"Oh," Emily blinked in surprise, "That sounds interesting!"

  
"Yes, it does," Alison smiled gently, "But I have to let you know that it works differently for everyone."

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"People are different, Emily. That means that they're seduced by different things and what works for one might not work for the other."

  
"And how do you know what works for people and what doesn't?" Emily was panicking. What if she couldn't figure out how to seduce Paige – or anyone, for that matter? She sucked at dating!

  
"Luckily, there are things that work for most people generally speaking," Alison explained, "For example, a soft song you can dance to," The blonde takes a remote control and presses a button. Then, a jazz song started to play and Alison got up and offered Emily her hand:

  
"Shall we dance?"

  
"Alison, I can't dance."

  
"You need to trust yourself, Em," There goes that nickname again making her all weak and Emily doesn't know why, "You're not at Dancing With The Stars. It's just you and me here."

  
The swimmer blushes and takes Alison's hand hesitantly. Alison tugs Emily closer and puts her hands on her waist. Emily wraps her arms around Alison's neck and they began to sway gently to the music. Emily stared straight up the wall as she tried not to look at the blonde dancing with her for fear that she might blush or do something awkward. And then Alison accidentally stepped on her foot.

  
"Ops!" The blonde laughed, making Emily laugh too as she relaxed into her arms, "See, you're better at dancing than I am!"

  
Emily chuckled and accidentally found Alison's azure eyes. She shook her head and stared at the wall again.

  
"Em," Alison gently squeezed her waist, making the brunette squirm, "Look me in the eye."

  
"Okay," Emily whispered and looked at Alison once again. Their eyes locked and set Emily's heart racing as her her knees wobbled. Why did she make her feel like this? Did Alison feel the same? Probably not, the blonde has been seducing women since forever. Why would Emily be different?

  
Unable to hold their gaze any longer, Emily settled for hugging Alison, resting her chin on the blonde's shoulder.

  
"Good move, Emily," Alison commented, "Hugging the person you're dancing with makes everything feel more… intimate."

  
Emily nodded and they danced in silence until the song ended. When they finally pulled away, Alison's blue eyes had a different sparkle to them and Emily would have dove into them had her shoulder not stung. What was going on?

  
"You did really well in dancing, Em," She commented, "I think it's time to get some wine."

  
"I can't drink wine, Alison. Paige can't either," Emily reminded her.

  
"But you two were drinking champagne in the gala party," Alison pointed out.

  
"That's because it was a special occasion, but we really can't."

  
"Okay, okay, a glass of water will do, I guess," Alison let out a conformed breath, "Let's got to the kitchen."

* * *

Emily followed Alison into the kitchen doing her best to ignore the pain in her arm. Alison fetches two glasses, pours water in them, and hands one to Emily. At that exact moment, an excruciating pain jolts through her arm and Emily releases the glass, making it fall and shatter on the floor.

  
"Emily, are you okay?" Alison moved to her side faster than Emily had expected.

  
"Yes, yes, it's just-" Emily slouches against the counter and rubs her injured shoulder, "It's never hurt this bad."

  
"Let me take you to the couch, okay?" Alison delicately pulled her by the waist and guided her back to the living room.

  
"I'm sorry about the glass, Ali," Emily said as she threw herself onto the couch.

  
"I'll clean the kitchen later, don't worry," Alison assured her and smiled, "So, you're calling me Ali, huh?"

  
Emily blushed, almost forgetting about the pain in her shoulder, "It slipped."

  
"I don't mind," Alison winked, "Wait here, I'm gonna grab some water for you."

* * *

 

Ten minutes later and Alison came back to find Emily crying on her couch.

  
"Sweetie," Alison sat beside her and put a hand on her uninjured shoulder, "What's wrong?"

  
"My shoulder, Ali," Emily sobbed, "What if I can never swim again?"

  
"Emily, don't say things like that!"

  
"The pain is not going away. It's even worse today that I begin to swim again."

  
"Hey," Alison cradled Emily's cheeks, making her look at her, "It's all part of your recovery, Emily. You're going to be alright."

  
The brunette shook her head in denial, "I don't know if I'll ever be in Olympic level again."

  
"Your doctor would've told you if something was wrong," Alison pointed out, "Don't you trust him."

  
Emily's hesitation told her all she wanted to hear.

  
"If you don't trust him, maybe you should look for another doctor."

  
"I can't! The team wouldn't like it and I'd have to hear Paige go on and on about how Dr. Rollins is one of the best in the world."

  
"Tell your team you want a second suggestion," Alison suggested, "And ignore Paige. It's your shoulder that's hurting, not hers."

  
Emily nodded timidly and Alison read the sign. Emily was not used to standing up for herself in her relationship with Paige.

  
"I know that our arrangement is supposed to be purely professional but I want you to know that you can talk to me, Em," Alison put one hand over Emily's and squeezed, "About your shoulder, about your relationship with Paige, about anything you want."

  
"Thanks, Ali," Emily smiled, quite surprised at Ali's open behavior.

  
"You're always welcome."

* * *

 

Alison didn't know how much time she spent comforting Emily but, unfortunately, the brunette had to leave. Alison wishes their moment had frozen in time and she could hold Emily forever. The intensity of this feeling scared her. She didn't think she could grow attached to the swimmer so quickly.

  
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Alison asked as Emily stood by her door, "You can stay the night if you want."

  
Emily smiled shyly and Ali found it adorable.

  
Fuck, she needed to stop.

  
"I'll be fine," Emily assured her, "And Paige will be worried if I don't come back soon."

  
Ali's face dropped at the mention of the other swimmer, but she concealed it by cleaning her throat.

  
"Okay then. Call me if you need anything."

  
"Thanks, Ali," Emily nods, "Goodnight."

  
"Goodnight, Em."

  
Alison expects Emily to turn around and leave but, much to her surprise, Emily leans in and kisses her cheek. Then, she runs away abruptly, leaving a very dumbstruck Ali behind.

 

  
  



	5. Rule #5

_**Rule #5: Kiss like a pro** _

 

“Ali, have you lost your mind?!” Spencer barged into Alison’s office and the blonde automatically knew what she was whining about, “You’re going to spy on the doctor?!”

“Good morning for you too, Spencer,” Ali rolled her eyes and replied calmly.

The brunette smashed her hand on Ali’s desk, “Answer me, Alison!”

Ali stared at the hand pressing against her desk and then looked at Spencer, “Yes, I will break into Dr. Rollins’ house to see if he’s keeping anything related to genetic doping there.”

“Do you have any proof of it?” “Spencer, he’s a doctor, he has full access to the swimmers and he knows how to use a needle,” Alison argued, “We need to investigate him.”

“I agree with that!” Spencer concedes, “But you don’t have to break into his house.”

“Yes, I do,” Ali insisted, “If he’s smart enough, he won’t keep those drugs in his office.”

"It's stupid! I don't even know how many laws we're breaking!"

“Me neither and I don’t care,” Alison replied with confidence, “Let me deal with this, Spencer. I’m not gonna get caught.”

The lawyer sighed in defeat, “Fine. But promise you’ll call me if you get in trouble.”

“I promise,” Ali nodded.

* * *

 

_ “Bb when r u coming home? Got a surprise 4U”  _

Emily sent the first text as she spread rose petals around the bathroom. She was hoping that a nice bath and a hot night would convince Paige to stop looking for other women. However, something in the back of her mind warned Emily that she should just let go. Paige wasn’t going to change.

_ “Hmmm...” “I wonder what it is” _

_ “You’ll have to come home to find out”  _

_ “In a sec, bb” _

Emily sat on the couch in a satin robe as she waited for Paige… in vain. The hours went by, but her fianceé never showed. Upset at being ditched, Emily ate dinner alone and collected all the petals she had spread on their bathroom. Then, she cried herself to sleep. Paige only came back in the dead of the night smelling like beer she wasn’t supposed to take. Emily expected a kiss or an apology, but those never came. Paige just slumped on the bed and fell asleep beside Emily as if she wasn’t her fiancée.

* * *

 

 

The next wasn’t much better for Emily. Her arm still wasn’t healing properly and, to top that, Alison showed up at her practice. But, this time, Alison decided it was a good idea to flirt with Dr. Rollins. Emily didn’t know why the thought of them together made her want to throw up.

  
“So...” Dr. Rollins began as he prepared his needle and Alison watched him with interest, “You’re visiting us again, Alison.”

  
“Well, I decided to pay you a visit again since you’ve asked me so nicely,” The blonde flirtatiously winked and Emily rolled her eyes.

  
“Will you go out with me?” He asked and stuck the needle on Emily’s arm, making her gasp in pain, “I asked nicely,” Dr. Rollins added cheekily.

  
Alison let out a quiet laugh and Emily wanted to pierce Rollins’ eye with a needle, “I might have to check on my agenda.”

  
“Please, make time for me,” He cleaned Emily’s arm and put on a band-aid on her, “I’m sure you won’t regret.”

  
“Okay, doctor,” Alison winked one more time and Emily decided she’s had enough. She grabbed her jacket and walked to the door.

  
“Ali, let’s go!”

  
“See you around, Doc,” The blonde sent him a kiss and joined Emily.

  
Men. They were so easy to be manipulated.

* * *

 

As soon as they left, Emily dragged Alison to an empty locker room.

  
“Wow, Emily, slow down! I know I’m irresistible, but we can’t just do this in your workplace!” The blonde joked, making Emily even angrier than before.

  
“Shut up, Alison!”

  
Ali frowned, “What’s wrong, Em?”

  
"I thought you were coming here to see how your suits were performing."

  
"Perhaps," Alison didn’t know what point Emily was trying to make, but she had a feeling that it was not going to end well.

  
"Alison, this is serious. I don't want you here so you can flirt with the team's doctor."

  
Ali laughs. Oh, so that’s what it was all about? Alison would love to tell Emily that she had no real interest in Rollins whatsoever, but she had to play her part:

  
"I'm single, he is too as far as I know. Where's the sin in that?"

  
"Some people just want to fucking work," Emily hisses in frustration.

  
"I'm working here," Ali wasn’t lying. Seducing Rollins was a part of her work.

  
"I can see that. You're working on your next fucktoy because that's all you seem to do in your life!" Emily spat.

  
Okay, this was getting a little too personal.

  
"You know nothing about me, Emily."

  
"I know enough to know that you are a spoiled princess!" That comment made Alison feel fucking angry. She hated when people assumed she was just a spoiled brat because of her position now. Those people had no idea of how she climbed to the top because those were parts of her Alison chose to keep to herself. All the public eye did was judge. But it hurt a thousand times more when the judgment came from someone in her circle. She didn’t know when she allowed Emily to get this close to her, but the brunette patronizing her hurt.

  
Alison huffed and pressed Emily against the lockers. The brunette yelped in surprise.

  
"You begged for my help because I’m a seductress. You don't get to slut-shame me now," Alison hurried out of the locker room and kicked the door behind her. Emily staying behind, trying to catch her breath once again.

* * *

 

Yes, that was a horrible day. So, Emily decided to let it all out with her friends by going out with Hanna and Aria. They went to a seafood restaurant (with vegetarian options that Aria approved) and started to talk about life just like the old times. A couple of people recognized Emily, but they just quietly asked for an autograph and left without making a fuss. Even though everyone knew her face, Emily was not a celebrity exactly. She could walk around without being bothered.

  
“So… How was your romantic date with Paige?” Hanna asked after taking a sip of her drink.

  
“It wasn’t,” Emily answered and rolled her eyes, “She bailed on me.”

  
“What?!” Hanna yelled, “Did she give you an excuse at least?!”

  
“Hanna, calm down!” Aria poked her on the arm, “Maybe something happened and Paige was held back.”

  
“As if, Aria,” Emily snorted, “She came home late at night and didn’t even give me a kiss. I haven’t talked to her since then.”

  
“You’re absolutely right, Em!” Hanna agreed, “Don’t fall back into her arms until she gives you an explanation.”

  
“Talk to her, Em,” Aria advised, “It’s the only way you can know what is going on.”

  
“Yes, I will. After I kill Alison DiLaurentis.”

  
Hanna and Aria exchanged confused looks.

  
“Why? What’s going on between you and her?” The small brunette asked with a frown.

  
"She is so egocentric that I can't deal with her!" Emily hisses, "Seriously, Hanna, I don't know how you do it!"

  
"What happened, Emily?"

  
"She was flirting with Rollins like she goddamned owned the place!"

  
Hanna frowned, trying to understand why that bothered Emily so much, as Aria moved her fingers as if trying to put two and two together.

  
"That's not awful, Em,” Aria commented carefully, “They're single, they're adults. They're gonna flirt if they want to."

  
"No, it's the way she does it!” Emily raised her voice, “She's a playgirl who thinks the world orbits around her, but I bet she wouldn't come as far as she has without daddy’s help!"

  
Aria was startled. Hanna opened her mouth to say something, swallowed hard, and then finally spoke, "Are you implying that she's spoiled or something?"

  
Emily tilted her head, "That's kinda obvious, isn't it?!"

  
Hanna raised her eyebrows, bit her lip, and glanced away.

  
"Look, Em, I don't know what you've been reading, but Alison is not a spoiled brat. Her parents used to neglect her and her siblings when they were younger and so Alison ran away. The police eventually found her and took her and her siblings away from their parents. As far as I've heard, Alison hasn't talked to them ever since,” Hanna revealed, much to Emily’s shock.

  
“She and her siblings moved to her aunt's house. A few years later, her aunt had cancer and Alison and her siblings had to step up. It was Alison who made their real estate agency the biggest in Rosewood, so big that she could afford to invest in other areas. But, even so, Alison has never mistreated one of her employees. She's rich, but her wage is not astronomical. She makes as much as Charlotte and Jason. She may be egocentric and a player, but she's not spoiled."

  
Emily gasps, thinking about the horrible things she told Alison at the pool. Who did she think she was? She couldn't possibly tell Alison not to flirt with Rollins - although the thought of it made her inexplicably mad.

  
"I-I d-didn't know that."

  
"We know you didn't," Aria reached across the table to take her hand, “But why are you so mad about Alison flirting with Rollins?”

  
Emily leaned back against the chair and tried to come up with an explanation, “It was unprofessional of her.”

  
“Alison isn’t his boss or something,” Hanna argued, “Please don’t tell me you fell for her charms!”

  
“O-Of course I didn’t!”

  
“That’s not what it looks like, Em,” Aria pointed out, “Whatever you do, just be careful. You’re engaged to a good woman and Alison is a player.”

  
“I know,” Emily blushed and whispered.

  
“Sorry, guys,” The journalist suddenly stood up, “My boss just texted me. They need me there to cover a sports event.”

  
“It’s fine, Aria,” Hanna patted on her back, “Just go.”

  
“Take care of that one, Han,” Aria nodded at Emily.

  
“Sure will.”

  
Aria left and Hanna decided it was a good idea to change the subject. Emily couldn't be more thankful for that.

* * *

 

On the next day, Emily still hadn’t talked to Paige about their night gone wrong. Actually, she didn’t feel the need to. They were just ignoring each other under the same roof, but Emily didn’t care much about it. Paige hadn’t tried to approach her either.

  
What was really bothering Emily was her situation with Alison. She felt really bad about being unjust to the blonde. Emily knew she could always meet Ali at the swim practice, but something drove her to her friend’s doorstep. She had no right to be there, but she at least had to try.

  
Emily pulled herself together and knocked on Ali’s door. She stood there for a few moments that looked like hours until Alison finally opened the door. The blonde looked surprised.

  
"Are you here to tell me how much of a bitch I am?"

  
"No,” Emily let out a shaky breath, “I came to apologize."

  
Alison stared at her for a moment before nodding and stepping aside.

  
"Come in."

* * *

 

Emily twirled her fingers as they sat on Ali’s couch. She dared not look in those blue eyes.

  
“So,” Alison began upon realizing that Emily wouldn't be saying a thing, “Why the sudden change of heart?”

  
“Ali, there was no change of heart-”

  
“You basically called me a whore, Emily. Now you’re sitting here apologizing,” Alison pointed at her.

  
“I acted like an idiot, Ali,” Emily said, “That’s why I am here.”

  
“Why were you so upset that I was flirting with him in the first place?”

  
“I just thought… it wasn’t appropriate.”

  
“Yet it is appropriate to ask me to teach you how to seduce your fiancée.”

  
“Ali, I didn’t come here to argue with you!”

  
“Then tell me why did it bother you so much!”

  
“Because I thought you were going there to see me!” It escaped from Emily’s lips so fast that she didn’t even notice until she was done speaking. Oh God, now Alison was going to think she had a crush on her. Emily was screwed!

  
“What?” Alison frowned at the confession. What was Emily implying? Was it possible that the swimmer had some kind of crush on her? And why did that thought make her heart beat so fast?

  
“I-I mean, I t-thought you were t-to see how your suits w-were p-performing,” Emily tried to save the situation, but it was probably too late.

  
“Yeah, I...” Alison couldn't even come up with something to say. Emily saw that as a sign of rejection and her heart broke – more than it had broken when Paige bailed on her.

  
“I can leave if you want me to,” Emily whispered to Ali and got no answer. Taking her silence as a yes, the brunette stood up and walked to the door.

  
“Wait!”

  
She didn’t even see when Alison pulled her by the arm and crashed their lips together.

* * *

 

Emily knows she should’ve pushed Alison away, but she just can’t stop kissing her. She’s been pressed up against Ali’s door for a good ten minutes and yet she’s not tired. Alison is a fucking good kisser. No wonder there are lines of people who want to be on her bed.

  
Alison nibbled her bottom lip and Emily squirmed.

  
“Lesson number three: how to be a good kisser,” The blonde whispered against her lips, “I don’t think you’ll need my advice on that.”

  
Emily blushed and chuckled, pulling Alison by the neck until they were kissing again. It didn’t cross her mind that she was actually cheating on Paige with those kisses.

  
Alison pulled away slightly to kiss the corner of her mouth, “You can tease first if you want.”

  
Emily was about to drag Alison back to her mouth but the blonde made her gasp when she grabbed her ass.

  
“Sometimes it’s nice to move your hands,” Alison whispered against her ear. Before Emily could even complain, those naughty hands were back to the safe zone of her waist and Alison was attacking her lower lip again.

  
“French kissing is so sexy.”

  
That’s all the warning Emily had before Ali covered her lips with her own and a soft tongue invaded her mouth to meet with hers.

  
The moan Emily let out was inhuman and her only relief was that Ali was moaning as well. That kiss was so fucking good. Emily literally felt her whole body tingling. The funny thing was: Paige had never made her this much.

  
Alison ended the kiss with a peck on her lips.

  
“The grand finale can be a peck, a hug… Or…” She smiled cheekily and started to plant kisses on Emily’s jaw, “You can kiss other body parts.”

  
“Ali...” Emily pressed the blonde against her neck and yelped as her shoulder stung. Not now, please!

  
Alison placed Emily's left hand on her rib and said, "You don't have to move. Leave it with me. I know your shoulder is hurting."

  
Emily smiles, using the hand behind Ali's neck to crash their lips together once more. She couldn't fool herself: her heart skipped a beat at how thoughtful Alison was.

  
If only time could be measured by kisses.

* * *

 

_**The doctor is in the spotlight. Let go.** _

 


	6. Rule #6: Always know when to stop

Emily got home with a tingle on her lips. It took her thirty minutes to find her way back to the apartment she shared with Paige. Yet, Ali’s kiss lingered on the back of her mind and Emily replayed every moment.

  
“Where were you?” Emily’s little bubble was burst by the sight of Paige drinking whiskey on the couch.

  
“Paige, you’re not supposed to be drinking!”

  
“And you’re not supposed to be out there alone in the middle of the night, Emily!”

  
“Like you were the night you bailed on me?!”

  
Paige looked guilty for a moment and twirled the ice in her glass.

  
“You were with Alison DiLaurentis, weren’t you?”

  
Emily gasped in shock. How did Paige find out about this?

  
“Yes,” She tried to answer without stuttering, “Why?”

  
“Wow,” Paige snorted, “Her visits to our training facilities have been paying off. Has she fucked you already?!”

  
“What?!” Emily yelled back, “Paige, she’s just my friend.”

  
Friends don’t kiss each other but Emily omitted that part.

  
Paige said nothing for a moment. She stood from the couch and walked to Emily, her brown eyes so dark that the injured swimmer feared she might hit her or something. But Paige never did that. She just whispered:

  
“Alison’s gonna fuck you and drop you. And then you’ll come running back to me.”

  
Paige slammed Emily’s injured shoulder on purpose as she walked past her wife to their bedroom. It seemed like Emily was the one who would sleep on the couch that night.

* * *

 

On the next day, Emily runs into Alison in one of the most cliché places of all time: the café. The swimmer was on the line waiting for a muffin when a blond boy holding a muddy soccer ball popped out of nowhere and ran into her, staining her jeans jacket.

  
"Seth, you can't just run onto other people like that! I'm sorry, miss, but-"

  
Alison showed up a second later and that left Emily astonished for several reasons. Was this boy related to Ali somehow? Could he be her secret son or something? But, wait! Alison didn’t look like a kids type of person.

  
"Ali?" Emily called her and only then did the blonde recognized her.

  
"Em?"

  
Alison gasped when she saw whom Seth had run onto. It's the first time she and Emily stared at each other after the kiss and neither of them are ready. Emily still feels her lips tingling from Ali's kisses and Alison feels an unfamiliar - though not unwanted - warmth expanding through her chest.

  
"Oh my God, this is Emily Fields!" Seth inadvertently broke the tension between the two women, "Aunt Ali, why didn't you tell me you knew her?"

  
Emily laughed at Seth poking his “Aunt Ali”. She didn't know Alison had such an adorable nephew.

  
"Uh... Because I've just started to work with her now," Alison awkwardly rubbed the back of her head and Emily decided to come to her rescue.

  
"I can give you an autograph if you want, Seth."

  
The boy's eyes sparkled, "Really?!"

  
"Sure!"

  
Emily winked and Seth tugged Ali's hand repeatedly.

  
"Aunt Ali, Emily Fields is gonna give me an autograph!"

  
Alison laughed and thanked Emily with a discreet wink, "Not now, though. You're gonna apologize first and then I'll take you home to Aunt Mary."

  
The boy blushed, suddenly reminded that Emily's jacket was dirty because of him and his muddy soccer ball.

  
"Sorry," He bent reverently in front of Emily.

  
"That's okay. I've got plenty of these jackets anyway."

  
"Do you need another one? It's pretty chilly outside," Alison quickly offered.

  
"I'll be fine," Emily tried to dismiss it, but Alison was faster: she slid out her leather jacket and handed it to Emily.

  
"Ali, you didn't have to-" Emily blushed deeply at the gesture, but removed her jacket and put on Ali's anyway.

  
"Ali! I've been looking for you everywhere!" A tall brunette who’s friends with Hanna suddenly interrupts them and frowns when she sees Emily wearing a familiar jacket. Alison bites her lip and coughed awkwardly.

  
"What is it, Spence?"

  
Spence? Spencer? Woah, it’s good to finally put a name to that face, Emily thinks.

  
"I've got something to tell you. We gotta go!"

  
"Now?!" Alison glanced pointedly at Emily as if she didn't want to leave.

  
"Now!" Spencer urges and Ali runs her hand through her hair.

 

"Okay, but I have to drive Seth to Mary's first."

  
She looks back at Emily one last time for the day and waves, "See you tomorrow, Em."

  
"See you," Emily waved back.

  
However, Seth didn't move. He glanced at Ali, at Em, at Ali, at Em, before deciding to speak again. And, when he did, he totally shook the world:

  
"Are you Aunt Ali's girlfriend?"

  
Emily had never seen Ali blushing, but she was right now. She would've mocked the blonde wasn't she trying to find a place to hide as well. Spencer, on the other hand, was laughing her ass off.

  
Alison coughed once again and tugged the boy by the hand:

  
"No, Seth. Emily's engaged to someone else," She pointed at Emily's diamond ring - the one Emily had forgotten about when she was with Alison, "Now let's go!" Alison ushered Seth and Spencer by the door before they could cause any more embarrassment.

* * *

 

With some luck, Alison managed to drop Seth at Mary’s before he could make more inconvenient questions. Then, she had to deal with Spencer, her partner in crime.

  
"What was that about, Spencer?” Alison asked once they got into her car.

  
"Calm down, Romeo… or should I say Juliette?"

  
Alison ignored the joke, "Why did you whisk me away like that?"

  
"Because, unlike you, I've actually done some research first. Elliott Rollins is not who he says he is. Actually, there is an Elliott Rollins, but he died five years ago and I'm pretty sure he was a nice old man, not a sexy young doctor," Spencer gave her a file on the fake doctor. It was indeed true.

  
"The USA team's doctor is using a fake identity?!"

  
"Wait, there's more. I've searched on Interpol's most wanted database and I found a match. The name is Archer Dunhill. He's a Scotch drug dealer better known for his ability to steal someone else's identity when he had to run," Spencer showed Ali his picture on the database.

  
"Oh my God! It totally matches him!"

  
"Now we have warrant material."

  
"No, a search warrant is not enough. We have to arrest him. If we don't, he'll just run away like always and, bam, there goes our case," Alison commented with a frown.

  
"I can prove that he's Archer Dunhill. If I do, we can totally arrest him," Spencer gave Alison that look. As much as they clashed head to head as partners, Spencer and Alison were still together for a reason: whenever in need, they put their skills together and arrested criminals. Together, they were almost invincible.

  
And no one was going to stop them now.

  
“We’re going to the headquarters,” Alison said as she revved up the engine and drove.

* * *

 

Emily would never admit that she loved it when Alison borrowed her her jacket. She loved the gesture, she loved Ali’s perfume on her nostrils. Come to think about it, she can’t even remember the last time Paige did something like this to her.

  
Little did Emily know that said jacket would giver her a massive headache on the following morning.

  
“Whose jacket is this?” Paige asked when they were just about to leave, “Don’t say it’s yours because I know it isn’t.”

  
“It’s from a friend,” Emily dodged the question, “I spilled coffee on my jacket and she gave hers to me because it was raining yesterday. It’s not a big deal.”

  
“Which friend, Emily?”

  
“Does it really matter, Paige?”

  
“It’s Alison, isn’t it?! You’ve been to her house!” Paige accused and Emily blushed. In a way, Paige was right but Ali’s intentions were the best when she gave her that jacket.

  
“Alison gave me her jacket, Paige! So what?!” Emily shouted back, “How long has it been since YOU did something like that?!”

  
“It’s not like you’re trying, Emily!”

  
Trying? Emily was taking seduction classes for Paige but it didn’t matter. Paige would never know this and she probably didn’t care anymore.

  
“Whatever,” Emily just shrugged, “We’re going to be late for practice.”

  
She grabbed her things and didn’t look back to see if Paige was following her.

* * *

 

_**BREAKING NEWS: DR. ELLIOTT ROLLINS, FROM USA SWIM TEAM, ARRESTED FOR USING A FAKE ID** _

* * *

 

It was all over the news in one second. Images of Rollins being arrested flooded the TV while everyone in the swim team didn’t know how to react to that.

  
“A fake ID? Really? Is that even a reason to arrest someone nowadays?” Paige complains as she slumps on the chair of the reception. Needless to say, practice has been canceled up to second notice until the situation was cleared.

  
“He could’ve entered the country illegally,” Emily commented. She was sitting beside her fianceé but they were not even holding hands, “They’re probably asking him that.”

  
“Yes, but what proof do they have, Emily?! The cops have nothing!”

  
“So you don’t believe he’s guilty?” The brunette asked with some curiosity. Paige wasn’t friends with Rollins. Why was she so passionate about him being innocent?

  
“Of course not! He wouldn’t have been hired if he was a shady drug dealer or something,” Paige replied, “I’m gonna grab a lunch. Want something?”

  
“No, thank you.”

  
“Okay,” Paige got up and left Emily with a feeling that she was hiding something.

* * *

 

Alison and Spencer, wearing their favorite disguises, watched as Lorenzo interrogated Dr. Rollins. However, the man only sat there in silence. His lawyer wasn’t speaking either.  
Alison punched the glass out of frustration.

  
“Calm down, Ali,” Spencer spoke casually, “It’s a matter of time before he speaks.”

  
“He’s protecting someone,” The blonde mumbled against the glass.

  
“Very likely.”

  
“We need to find out who,” Alison turned around, left the room and slammed the door. Spencer chuckled at the scene. She had never seen Ali so involved in an investigation.

* * *

 

Emily sighed as she checked her clock again. It seemed that Alison wasn’t at home even though they had a lesson today. She checked her watch again and realized she’d been waiting for the blonde for forty-five minutes. Why couldn’t Ali just call?

  
As if on cue, the elevator doors opened and Alison sprinted out of them, looking tired and her hair all messy. Alison had gone full black today: black jeans, black shirt, black heels. It felt so out of place compared to all the other times Emily had seen her. Alison always wore vibrant colors, even if they were matched with black, white or jeans clothes. Emily could feel that something had happened, but she couldn’t imagine what.

  
“Oh crap! Emily, I’m so sorry!” Alison gasped when she saw the swimmer sat by her door, “I completely forgot we had a lesson today!”

  
“It’s okay,” Emily stood and brushed her jeans twice, “You were busy, I can see that.”

  
Alison stepped closer to her.

  
“Yes, I was. But I left you waiting here and it’s not right.”

  
“I get, Ali,” Emily smiled sympathetically, “I think you deserve some rest right now.”

  
The swimmer tried to walk past her but Alison grabbed her wrist and stopped her from going home.

  
“Stay. You’ve been waiting here since God knows when and I can’t just let you leave like that.”

  
“I don’t want to bother you, Ali-”

  
“You don’t bother me, Em,” Alison’s hand slid from her wrist to her hand and the blonde rubbed her fingers, “If anything, you’ll distract me from a very long day.”

  
Emily smiled when she shouldn’t.

  
“Okay then. I’ll stay.”

* * *

 

What was supposed to be just another lesson turned to a heated make-out session.

  
Alison is kissing her way down to her shoulder and Emily stiffens. It's not her injured shoulder - no, Alison is too thoughtful to touch there without Emily saying so - but the gesture, strangely enough, reminds her that Rollins used to inject a substance in her and she wonders what it might have been. Alison pulls away once she realizes that Emily isn't responding to her touch anymore.

  
"Hey," Ali gently caresses the back of Emily's neck, "What's wrong?"

  
"He was my doctor, Ali," Emily mumbled and Ali bit her lip. She knew they were talking about Elliott Rollins, "He was my doctor and I trusted him enough to inject painkillers on my shoulder. What if they were not painkillers?"

  
The possibility made Ali’s blood run stale. What if Emily had been an unwilling Guinea pig?

  
“I believe he would not dare give you anything dangerous,” Alison replied carefully.

  
“It’s just… I feel violated in a weird sort of way,” Emily let a few tears slip and it broke Ali’s heart.

  
"Emily, he's in jail now," Ali assures her. Hell, now she'll work twice as hard to keep him there. She needs to keep Emily safe, "And I promise you he won't be getting out any sooner."

  
Emily only nods and wipes her tears away, "C-Can I... Can we just stop the lesson right here? I don't think I can continue now."

  
"Of course, sweetie!" Alison slides away from Emily in order to give her space even though she wanted to hold her.

  
"Thanks," Emily reached for Ali's hand to ensure they remained closed. She didn't know why, but she felt safe around the blonde (which she shouldn't because Alison is a well-known player and Emily might be starting to get a little too much involved).

  
After the swimmer had calmed down, Alison walked her to the door, never letting go of her hand. She wished she could keep Emily there forever and that thought scared her. Ali had never had such intense feelings for someone else.

  
On the other hand, Emily could feel her heart race with every step she took. Alison made her feel safe in a way Paige never could. She wanted more of it, even though she knew Ali could never give it to her. Emily was way too deep for her own good.

  
"Thank you, Alison," Emily said by the doorstep. She didn't want to leave and Ali didn't want that either, but both were having problems trying to speak up. So, Emily courageously leaned in and kissed Alison on the cheek, making the blonde blush at the unexpected gesture. Alison is not a woman who gets flushed easily, but Emily managed to do so twice in the same week. Ali doesn't want to dwell on what that meant.

  
"Stay," Ali suddenly grabs Emily by the arm and only then realizes what she had done, "I mean... we could order pizza and have some beer."

  
Emily laughed nervously. If they had not met in the circumstances they did, Emily would have thought Alison was inviting her for a date, "I can't drink alcohol because of the painkillers." Stupid!

  
"I have soda as well. You can drink soda, right?"

  
Emily shook her head, "Swimmer's diet."

  
"W-Water? Of course you drink water!" Alison grew more and more nervous each time she spoke.

  
"Yes, I can still drink water. In fact, I swim in it," Emily joked and closed the door behind her. Alison let a breath she didn't know she was holding.


	7. Rule VII: Pay attention to the signs

_**Rule VII: Pay attention to the signs** _

__

Emily stayed. She stayed and they’re acting like friends, not acquaintances with a weird arrangement. And it turns out Emily can eat Chinese takeout once in a while (Ali thanks God for that!).

  
“So,” Emily hummed after chewing on a piece of meat, “Seth is your nephew, huh?”

  
“Yes, he’s Jason’s son.”

  
“You guys seem pretty close.”

  
“Our family is kinda close in general,” Ali commented, “I mean, we had to trust in one another after all the shit we’ve been through. And Seth is a really sweet boy when he’s not playing matchmaker.”

  
Emily laughed, “Did that bother you?”

  
“What?”

  
“The fact that Seth thought we were… dating?”

  
“No,” Ali replied, “Did it bother you? Because you’re engaged, you know.”

  
Emily shook her head. She didn’t exactly want to be remembered she was engaged at that moment.

  
“No, it didn’t. I thought it was funny!”

  
“He has such a crush on you! It’s cute!”

  
“You should let me hang out with him some time.”

  
“Wouldn’t it be too much?” Alison asked with a second meaning implied.

  
“No, it definitely wouldn’t.”

  
“You should watch him play soccer some time,” Ali suggested, “He’d love that.”

  
“Then it’s a date.”

  
“It’s a date!”

  
They agreed and carried on the conversation like there was no clock on the wall. Suddenly, Alison DiLaurentis wasn't a spoiled player anymore. She was a sweet woman who loved kids and playing soccer and Emily is marveled at that. She wonders if Alison wants to have kids. She wonders if Alison wanted to get married, but that thought surprisingly bugs her. The idea of Alison marrying someone else pierces her heart furiously and Emily knows she has no right to feel that way. She just can't. SHE is the one who's engaged to another woman. She doesn't get to be jealous - especially of a woman who is known for never settling down when it comes to her partners.

  
But Emily stayed the night. It was late and Alison looked way too comfortable. Emily rested her head on Ali’s thighs as they talked about Emily’s gold medal at Rio, Ali’s childhood, Hanna being Emily’s best friend and Ali’s employee, Cece’s transition, Emily’s parents…

  
Until it was all too quiet because Emily fell asleep.

  
Alison was watching the beautiful woman on her lap snore softly when the door opened. The secret agent tensed at first, but relaxed when Spencer walked into her apartment. Why did Ali even give her a key anyway?

  
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were busy,” Spencer smirked when she saw Emily on her lap.

  
Alison rolled her eyes.

  
“I better take her to my room. I don’t want her to wake up and accidentally hear our conversation,” She slipped one arm under Emily’s shoulder and the other behind her knees to lift the swimmer and carry her bridal style. Good thing Emily was sound asleep now. Alison wouldn’t be able to explain how she can carry her without bringing up her military training.

  
You know, just the usual stuff you do at your local gym.

  
"Playing Romeo again?"

  
"She can't sleep like this," Ali justifies, "Her shoulder is hurting and she will wake up feeling worse if I let her sleep on the couch."

  
"Alison," Spencer's tone shifts to something soberer "She's engaged to someone else. Please, don't play games with her."

  
"I'm not," Ali assures because she really isn't. She never revealed such parts of herself to anyone but her family or Spencer. She hasn't felt the need to taste other mouths after she kissed Emily's. She cares enough to let that woman sleep on her soft, king-sized mattress. She cares so much and it's unexpected and Ali knows she's fucked. Emily only sees her as some kind of teacher - or worse, as a party girl. Emily is engaged to someone else and every physical contact Ali shared with her was purely professional. Emily is engaged to someone else and Alison wants the girl who is forbidden to her.

  
“You'll never believe what the CIA found in Rollins’ computer,” Spencer spoke, bringing Alison back to Earth.

  
“What?”

  
“Most of his stuff was encrypted. However, there is one file we could decode. It’s about this medicine called Gene X.”

  
“Is this what I think it is?”

  
“Pretty much. Genetic doping.”

  
Alison remembered Emily breaking down to her that same night because she was afraid Rollins might have given her illegal substances. Unfortunately, it seems like this is the case and this realization makes Alison want to go to the headquarters and smash Rollins’ head into a wall.

  
“Any details on how it’s produced?”

  
“No. But we know he’s not doing this alone. Someone is giving him the drug,” Spencer deduced, “We need to find out who.”

  
“Who put him on the swim team?”

  
“I don’t know, but it’s a good start.”

  
“Let’s go then.”

  
Alison left the house with her heart feeling heavy. She wanted to stay with Emily, but this relationship was crossing so many lines already. And she needed to solve this case, if anything, for Emily’s sake.

* * *

 

Emily woke up on a soft mattress, wrapped in sheets that didn’t smell like her or Paige. That perfume, however, was unmistakable. It was Ali’s vanilla perfume.   
But how did she end up in her bed?

  
Emily panicked for a moment and then realized she still had her clothes on. Well, at least she didn’t have a drunken hookup with Alison. And she was still wearing yesterday’s clothes. Emily must have fallen asleep at some point and Alison somehow moved her to her bed.

  
The swimmer hopped off the bed and looked for Alison inside the apartment, but didn’t find her. Not even a note saying she had to leave early. Emily didn’t want to admit, but it hurt to know Alison left her alone in her house without a second thought, especially their heart to heart last night. It didn’t matter, though. She needed to get her feet back on the ground and focus on her rehab.

  
Forget about Paige, forget about Alison. Emily needed to focus on herself.

  
That’s what she thought after leaving Ali’s apartment using a key she found on the table.

* * *

_ **BREAKING NEWS: SENATOR EZRA FITZ TIED TO SUSPECT OF GENETIC DOPING** _

* * *

 

Emily hurried to Aria’s house as soon as she heard the news. She spotted Hanna’s car when she got there and pushed the door open in no time. Aria was sitting with Hanna on the couch, but she wasn’t on tears like Emily expected. Guess Aria was stronger than that.

  
“How are you doing?” She asked softly, sitting on Aria’s other side.

  
“Trying to understand what the police has on Ezra,” Aria huffed, “It’s ridiculous! He’s guilty of association just because he knew the guy?! Fuck them!”

  
“I’m sure Ezra is going to explain everything to them,” Hanna said.

  
“And his lawyers are going to help him.”

  
“Fuck that!” Aria threw her phone on the wall and it smashed.

  
“Aria!”

  
“As if I needed my phone in the first place,” She laughed darkly and then stood up, “I appreciate you coming here, but I need to be alone right now.”

  
“Are you sure?” Emily hesitated. 

  
“Yes, I am,” Aria ran a hand through her hair impatiently.

  
“Please, don’t destroy your whole house, Aria.”

  
“I can’t promise anything, Hanna,” Aria answered, “Now go!”

  
Hanna and Emily exchanged concerned looks but left anyway.

* * *

 

“Listen, I didn’t know who he really was,” Ezra repeated as he sat in the interrogation, “If I knew, I wouldn’t have recommended him.”

  
“My client will not answer any more questions,” His lawyer announced and Alison, disguised as Vivian, clenched her fists. They were not getting any forward with this.

  
“We’ll be back soon,” Spencer smirked and signaled for Alison to follow her out.

  
Once they were out, Alison squinted her eyes and rubbed her temples.

  
“We’re not gonna get anything out of him, are we?”

  
“With his budget? Not likely!”

  
“Fuck!” Alison cursed and walked down the corridor. She wanted a glass of water at least. On her way, she crossed paths with a small woman with brown hair and hazel eyes. She recognized her as Aria Montgomery, a journalist who has talked to Jason a couple of times.

  
“You were interrogating Ezra Fitz right?” Aria suddenly asked her, “He’s my husband.”

  
“I can’t talk about such things, ma’am,” Ali replied, faking her accent as always.

  
“He’s gonna prove his innocence. I’m sure he will.”

  
“He has the right to expose his version of facts.”

  
“He will convince you, I’m sure.”

  
“He’s in the last room on the left. You can visit him meanwhile.”

  
Aria smiled, “I’ll see you around, Agent.”

  
Alison just nodded and grabbed a bottle of water. Meaningless hall conversations.

* * *

 

It’s the end of the day and Alison is kissing Emily. It’s wonderful.

  
She remembered how empty her life used to be, jumping from person to person in an endless line.

  
It ends with Emily.

  
Or so she wished, because it’s all just practice to the swimmer and Alison is not going to push things further than that. They have built a good friendship and Alison actually likes Emily’s company.

  
She imagines what it will be like once it’s all over.

  
Then, Emily moves to her neck and sucks on her sweet spot, making Ali gasp.

  
“Sorry,” Emily pulls back abruptly, “That was too much, I think...”

  
“It’s okay,” Alison nods, missing Emily’s lips on her skin.

  
Then her phones vibrate. Ali awkwardly shifts on the couch to get it out of her back pocket before she can pick it. It’s a message from Lorenzo:

 

_S.O.S. We found Patient Zero_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's Patient Zero? :P


	8. Rule #8

_**Rule #8: Go with the flow** _

 

“What is it?” Emily asked once she saw Ali’s frown.

  
“Uhh… Aunt Mary needs a ride, Jason is out with Seth and Cece is not picking up,” Alison lied quickly and felt guilty afterwards.

  
“You need to leave?”

  
“Yeah,” The blonde bit her lip, “I’m sorry.”

  
“It’s okay,” Emily disentangled from her and got up from the couch, “I’m going out with Paige tonight, so...”

  
The mention of Emily’s fianceé made Ali’s blood boil.

  
“Okay, so… We better get going,” Alison got up as well and picked her keys, “See you later?”

  
“See you, Ali.”

* * *

 

“Lorenzo!” Alison ran to him disguised as Vivian, “What happened?”

  
“Archer made a deal with us and gave me the name of patience zero,” He explained as he looked through some documents.

  
“Well, what’s their name?”

  
“Shana Frings.”

  
Alison felt her world shatter. While Emily was not patient zero, there was a possibility that Archer had meddled with the swim team.

  
She really hoped Emily wasn’t involved at all.

* * *

 

_ SWIMMER SHANA FRINGS ARRESTED BY CIA. USA SWIM TEAM UNDER INVESTIGATION _

* * *

 

"Do you think she's involved?" Spencer asks as they watched Lorenzo interrogate Emily.

  
"I don't think so. She seemed genuinely worried that Archer might have been injecting unknown substances into her."

  
"People, lie, Alison."

  
"Not Emily. She's too pure for that."

  
"You're attached to her."

  
"Is that so obvious?"

 

"It's in your face every time you see her or talk about her," Spencer noted, "And I suggest you step away from her. Ali, this can only end up bad. Even if she isn't involved in a doping scheme, she's still engaged to Paige McCullers."

  
"Of course I saw her ring," Ali said bitterly, "There's nothing I can't give her that Paige can't."

  
"It's not only that," Spencer replied, "She's engaged to Paige. I suppose she feels something for her and it wouldn't be fair if you messed with her feelings."

  
"Believe me, the last thing I want is to mess up with Emily's life," That said, Alison left the room, unable to hear any more of Spencer's lecture.

* * *

 

“Can we call her, can we call her?” Seth bounced around as he tried to convince Alison to invite Emily to watch his soccer game.

  
“Seth, Emily’s going through some stuff right now,” Alison commented, “I think she needs some alone time.”

  
“Aunt Ali, please!” The boy begged, “You promised! And you can cheer her up if she’s sad.”

  
“Seth, I don’t know...”

  
“Please, please, please!”

  
“Okay!” She conceded, “I’m gonna call her and see if she can go tomorrow!”

  
“Yay!” Seth jumped on Ali’s lap and she gargled.

  
“I think you love her more than you love me.”

  
“No. I just think she’s perfect for you, Aunt Ali.”

  
Alison smiled.

  
She would probably never know if Emily was perfect for her or not.

* * *

 

“Ali?” Emily was probably happier than she should have been, considering the latest events. But she couldn’t help the smile plastered on her face when Alison called.

  
“Hey Em. I’m sorry about what happened.”

  
“It’s not your fault.”

  
In a way, it was.

  
“I know this isn’t easy for you, especially now that you’re just recovering from your injury.”

  
“I will be fine, Ali.”

  
“Anyway,” The blonde cleared her throat, “Are you free tomorrow? Seth kinda wants me to take you to his soccer practice but I’ll understand if you can’t and-”

  
“Your nephew is cute, Ali!” Emily bit her lip, “I can make time in my agenda for you.”

  
“Thanks! He’s gonna be ecstatic! He has a crush on you, you know?”

  
Not only he, but okay.

  
“Oh, let him know that I’m just coming because he asked nicely,” Emily joked.

  
“Hey! What about me?” Ali whined.

  
“Well, there’s not really much we can do about you, is there?”

  
“I thought we were on the same page here, Em!”

  
“We might be…” Emily let out and Alison didn’t know what to say. It seemed that they were about to cross a line they really shouldn’t, but they really wanted to. They’re craving for it.

  
“So,” Ali continued after that awkward silence, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at ten.”

  
“Okay.”

  
“See you tomorrow, Em?”

  
“See you.”

  
Emily hung up her phone and stared at the screen melancholically. Little did she know that Paige had been watching the whole scene.

* * *

 

“GOAL!” Alison and Emily screamed from the stands as Seth scored a hat trick. The boy smiled and waved at Emily, blushing when she winked back at him. Then, he went back to the game and started running again.

  
“He’s really good, Ali,” Emily commented.

  
“I know,” She nodded, “Do you think he’s Olympic material?”

  
“Definitely. He’s a jewel waiting to be polished.”

  
“I’ll make sure he always does his best.”

  
“Emily, I’m gonna score another one!” Seth shouted from the field.

  
The two women laughed.

  
“Wow, he really likes me.”

  
“Not only him,” Alison let it slip and Emily stared at her like a deer in the headlights.

  
It was too late to take it back.

  
“Who else?” Emily shot an eyebrow.

  
“Someone famous, maybe.”

  
“My fiancée?”

  
“Not really...”

  
“GOAL!” Seth screams in the field as he scored another goal, cutting their conversation short.

* * *

 

“I’ve never seen Seth smile that much,” Alison commented as she and Emily walked to her apartment, “He was so happy when he presented you to his little friends.”

  
“He’s a charming kid, Ali,” Emily replied.

  
“He is. I know he’s only my nephew, but he means a lot to me.”

  
Emily laughed softly, “I think it’s cute how much you care about him. We don’t get to see this Ali on the tabloids.”

  
“Maybe because it’s a part of me I’d like to keep for myself. I don’t want the media to ever take that away from me.”

  
“You’re right. It’s really something you should protect.”

  
Alison snorted, “It’s not like I could save my reputation now.”

  
“I don’t care what the media thinks of you, Ali,” Emily steps further and takes the blonde’s hands, “I know it is a lie. You’re one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met!”

  
“Thanks, Em. You’re amazing yourself!” Ali replied, “I don’t know how you fiancée doesn’t see that in you.”

  
“Maybe it’s something I do-”

  
“It’s not. Everything you do takes my breath away,” Ops, another slip, it was too late to back down now and Alison didn’t. Emily didn’t shy away either.

  
“You should stop flirting with me.”

  
“Maybe I don’t want to."

  
Emily blushed, but their hands remained intertwined. So Alison took it as a good sign and leaned in. She could always say it was for practice if she got rejected, but that was not the case. Emily dug her fingers into Ali’s hair and pressed her against the door.

  
She pushed Emily away, giving her one last chance to give up on what they were about to do. There was no coming back after crossing that line. But Emily pulled her back in for another make out session.

  
Alison struggled to find the door handle. The last thing she wanted was someone walking up to them. She didn’t trust her neighbors even though she never had trouble with them. When she opened the door, she somehow pulled Emily inside, shut the door and pressed the brunette against the nearest wall. Alison didn’t even realize what she was doing until she took off Emily’s shirt, tossing it behind her. Emily pulled her by the belt loops and they kissed again, their tongues meeting in a haste battle inside Emily’s mouth.

  
They stumbled to Ali’s bedroom and Alison pushed Emily onto her bed, settling on her lap.

  
“Are you sure?”

  
Emily nodded only, unable to voice her transgression.

  
Alison agreed and kissed her again, pressing Emily against the soft mattress.

* * *

 

“She’s with her! I swear to God she’s with Alison! I’m gonna smash that pretty face!”

  
“Hush, Paige. One pawn at a time.”

  
Alison’s confidential file was open on the table.

  
  
_**Alison DiLaurentis (also known as Vivian Darkbloom)**_

 

 


	9. Rule XIX

_**Rule XIX: Savor the good times while you can** _

"Oh, Ali!" Emily moaned as the blonde sucked her nipple, teasing her with every swipe of her tongue.

  
Alison looked up and cherished how beautiful Emily was with her head thrown back, cheeks red with excitement. There was no need to rush: Ali could do foreplay until Emily was dripping and begging for release. Never had she felt the need to take it slow before. But, with Emily, she wanted to carve out every curve of her body on her memory because Alison didn't know how much this moment would last.

  
She ran a hand through Emily's abs, slowly making her way where the brunette wanted her to be.

  
Emily shook when Alison reached her center. She half-expected the blonde to do it like Paige does: thrust inside and hope for the best. But soon Emily realized that Ali's touch was different. The blonde gathered a little bit of wetness and spread it all over her pussy. It was so subtle that Emily melt. Alison kissed her, swallowing her moans, and then moved her fingers up to Emily's clit, rubbing the swollen nub gently.

  
"Fuck," Emily broke the kiss and cursed. Her lover lips, however, didn't leave her skin. Instead, they moved to her jaw, where Ali nibbled until she got to Emily's ear. Then, she sucked her earlobe, hearing Emily gasp as she increased the pressure on her clit.

  
Alison pushed one finger inside and Emily arched her body off the mattress. Never had sex felt so good in her life. The blonde kept her thumb on Emily’s clit as she slowly explored her pussy. The swimmer pulled Alison by the neck and kissed her, making the other woman swallow her moans.

  
Then Alison pushed another finger inside and Emily couldn’t control her moans any longer.

  
“Keep going!” Emily begged and Ali curled her fingers on her sweet spot, “Shit! Ali, there!”

  
“Come for me, Em,” Alison never wanted to see a girl as much as she wanted to see Emily now.

  
“Fuck!” A couple of thrusts threw Emily over the edge in a way Paige had never done before.

  
Alison runs her hand through Emily’s luscious hair until the brunette is able to speak again.

  
"You're beautiful," The blonde whispers, staring straight into those chocolate orbs.

  
"I bet you say that to everyone," Emily deadpans.

  
"You're the only I've ever told this," Ali confessed and this awakens a hunger in Emily she’s never seen before. She flips on top of Alison, determined to make her feel as good as she had felt tonight.

  
Emily still feels insecure about touching the goddess beneath her. What if she isn’t enough to satisfy Alison? What if she does something that turns Ali off? What if-

  
“Hey?” Ali tucked Emily’s hair behind her ears, “Are you okay? You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

  
“I want to,” Emily nodded with emphasis, “I’m just afraid that I’ll do something wrong.”

  
“You won’t,” Alison reassured, “If you need, I’ll tell you what I like. Communication is the key, Em. Don’t be afraid to ask.”

  
Emily kisses Alison again and everything happens naturally. Her mouth moves to Ali’s neck and she sucks her pulse point, making the blonde gasp. Emily moved down to her ample bosom, fondling her breasts, kissing and licking her rosy nipples.

  
“Em,” Alison moaned, making Emily smile. To have the blonde writhing under her was a great accomplishment.

  
The swimmer played with her breasts a little bit longer and then kissed her way down. She was surprised at how taut Ali’s stomach was. Alison looked delicate, but she was as strong as an athlete. Emily would ask her about her exercise routine, but only after she made her come. The brunette hovered Ali’s center and swiped her tongue on her glistening lips. The high-pitched moan Alison let out was satisfying and Emily felt compelled to do more. With no hesitation, Emily sucked Ali’s clit into her mouth and reveled at how the blonde squirmed on her lips.

  
The night was not going to end soon.

* * *

  
"Sweetie, I think she's the problem in your relationship, not you,” Alison gasps once Emily leaves the space between her legs. Holy shit, she was heaving!

  
“Really?” Emily rests on the pillow beside her and blushes like she hasn’t had her tongue inside the blonde only a minute ago.

  
“I’m positive,” Ali purrs, "I'm gonna sleep on those boobs now, They look so fucking comfortable," The blonde lied on her chest and nuzzled Emily's soft breasts as the brunette laughed. Emily popped a kiss on her forehead and Alison looked up. Though they've shared (almost) every kind of kiss, one had never kissed the forehead of the other. Emily looked like a kid after getting caught doing something wrong, but Alison wiped that face with a kiss. Emily smiled into the lip lock and held Ali's face, popping kisses all over her face. Alison laughed and Emily kissed her again before the blonde lied back on her chest and they could finally sleep.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, guys! Some of you might know from FF, some of you might not but, hey, it's always good to make new friends! Anyway, let me know what you thought of this, beautiful people!


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